Côte d’Ivoire has declared a first-degree Ebola hemorrhagic virus for 25 years, the health minister and the World Health Organization (WHO) said separately on Saturday.
Health Minister Pierre Dimba said on national television that it was an isolated case of an 18-year-old girl who traveled from neighboring Guinea.
The World Health Organization said in a statement that IvoryCoast confirmed the country’s first case of Ebola since 1994.
“This came after the Ivory Coast’s Pasteur Institute confirmed the Ebola virus disease in samples collected from the patient, who were admitted to hospital in the commercial capital Abidjan, after arriving from Guinea,” the WHO said in a statement.
The WHO said that initial investigations showed that the patient had traveled to the Ivory Coast on his way and arrived in Abidjan on 12 August.
“The patient was admitted to a hospital after experiencing something and is currently receiving treatment,” it said.
Guinea – the site of the Ebola outbreak in 2014-2016, the deadliest on the record – experienced a four-month Ebola outbreak earlier this year, which was declared on June 19.
Guinea earlier this week also confirmed a first case of the Marburg virus in West Africa. Marburg virus disease is a highly infectious bleeding fever similar to Ebola.
Transmission of both fatal diseases occurs through contact with infected body fluids and tissues, while symptoms include headaches, vomiting, muscle aches and bleeding.
The WHO said there was no indication that the current case in Côte d’Ivoire was linked to the outbreak in Guinea earlier this year. It said further investigation and genomic sequencing would identify the strain and determine if there was a link.
“It is a matter of great concern that this outbreak has been declared in Abidjan, a metropolis of more than 4 million people,” said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO’s Regional Director for Africa, in the statement.
“Much of the world’s expertise in tackling Ebola is not found on the continent and Côte d’Ivoire can benefit from this experience and get the answer at full speed,” she said.
(REUTERS)
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