On Tuesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported an outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Equateur Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Between 28 July and 18 August 2014, a total of 24 suspected cases of hemorrhagic fever, including 13 deaths, have been identified.
The outbreak has prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue a travel alert for the African country to inform travelers of actions they can take to reduce their risk of getting the disease.
The outbreak has been traced to a single patient who became infected after preparing bushmeat. Current information indicates that this outbreak is not related to the ongoing Ebola outbreaks in Guinea, Nigeria, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. The DRC Minister of Health announced a series of preventive measures taken to stop the spread of the outbreak, including contact tracing and follow-up, treatment of patients, and infection prevention and control measures. It is not yet known if these actions will be successful.
CDC recommends that travelers to DRC, especially people going to Equateur Province, protect themselves by avoiding contact with the blood and body fluids of people who are sick with Ebola.
Travelers could be infected if they come into contact with blood or body fluids from someone who is sick or has died from Ebola. People also can become sick with Ebola if they come into contact with infected wildlife or raw or undercooked meat (bushmeat) from an infected animal. Health care workers and the family and friends in close contact with Ebola patients are at risk of getting sick because they may come in contact with infected blood or body fluids. For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page