No Ebola Cases Reported in Mozambique

By Paul Fauvet

Maputo (MOZTIMES) - The Mozambican Health Ministry on Tuesday confirmed that so far no cases of Ebola have been diagnosed in the country.

The current outbreak of Ebola appears to have begun in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and has spread to neighbouring Uganda.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 17 May.

A statement from the Health Ministry said that, although the outbreak is a matter of concern, no cases have yet been detected in Mozambique.

“Mozambique has, at the National Health Institute, laboratory capacity for testing and isolating the virus. Although the country is considered low-risk, the authorities continue to strengthen prevention and preparedness measures, in cooperation with regional and international organizations”, reads the Ministry statement.

The health authorities say they are stepping up surveillance in health units, in communities and at border crossings. The authorities are also training provincial teams for the safe collection, processing, and transport of samples. “Simulation exercises are taking place in the northern provinces of Cabo Delgado and Niassa, and central province of Tete”, the Ministry said.

The authorities have also called on the public to seek information “through the official channels of the Health Ministry and avoid misinformation. We also recommend strengthening preventive measures, with emphasis on regular hand washing, avoiding contact with sick people or bodily fluids, and seeking immediate medical assistance in case of suspected symptoms, especially after traveling to affected areas.”

To date there have been 906 confirmed cases of Ebola and 223 deaths. 899 cases and 222 deaths are in the DRC, while seven cases and one death have been reported from Uganda.

The Ebola virus comes in several varieties. The one responsible for the DRC outbreak, the Bundubugyo variant, is alarming because there is so far no vaccine, although work is under way to test candidate vaccines.

The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals (such as fruit bats, porcupines and non-human primates) and then spreads in the human population through direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people, and with surfaces and materials (e.g. bedding, clothing) contaminated with these fluids.

The average Ebola disease case fatality rate is a terrifying 50%. Case fatality rates have varied from 25% to as much as 90% in past outbreaks.

Dealing with the outbreak is made difficult because the eastern DRC is wracked by armed conflict, so that some of the communities most at risk cannot be reached.

A statement from the World Health Organisation (WHO) states that “the outbreak is unfolding against a complex epidemiological, humanitarian and security backdrop characterized by insecurity, highly mobile populations including cross-border and trade flows such as mining, as well as the presence of large refugee communities”.

“Dedicated surveillance and response cells are being established in affected and at-risk health zones to improve early detection and rapid investigation of suspected cases”, adds the WHO. “Enhanced disease surveillance is being prioritized, particularly for unexplained community deaths and clusters of febrile illness. Authorities are also intensifying contact tracing and monitoring activities in affected districts and border areas to limit further spread of the virus”. (PF)

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