Share

Pastor confirmed with Ebola as disease spreads in Democratic Republic of Congo

Kinshasa – The first case of Ebola has been confirmed in Goma, the biggest city to have been affected by the disease since its outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo last August, the health ministry said on Sunday.

The patient is a pastor who had been preaching in church and would have touched the hands of worshippers "including the sick", the ministry said in a statement.

His symptoms first appeared last Tuesday in Butembo, one of the main towns touched by Ebola where he had been preaching.

He left by bus on Friday to Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, arriving early on Sunday where "the results of the laboratory test confirmed that he was positive for Ebola", the ministry said.

"Given that the patient was quickly identified, as well as all the passengers on the bus from Butembo, the risk of the disease spreading in the city of Goma is low," the ministry said.

The other 18 passengers and the driver will begin getting vaccinations on Monday, it added.

Health workers in Goma were vaccinated as early as December, when the outbreak first hit Butembo some 300km further north.

The two towns are separated by poor roads under the threat of armed groups.

10th outbreak in 40 years

The latest Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo has so far killed 1 655 people and 694 have been cured, according to a health ministry bulletin on Saturday.

Additionally, 160 239 people have been vaccinated, it said.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) had initially voiced hope it would be able to contain the highly contagious haemorrhagic fever, thanks in part to the new vaccine.

But efforts to tackle the crisis have been hampered both by militia attacks on treatment centres, in which some staff have been killed, and by the hostility of some local people to the medical teams.

Insecurity in the restive region, including a long-standing presence of various rebel groups in Ituri and North Kivu, has also made it difficult for health workers to access those who might have come into contact with Ebola.

The disease spreads among humans through close contact with the blood, body fluids, secretions or organs of an infected person, or objects contaminated by such fluids.

The current outbreak is the 10th in DRC in 40 years, putting all of East Africa on alert.

It is already the second deadliest on record globally, after the epidemic that struck West Africa in 2014-2016 and killed more than 11 300 people.

GET THE NEWS at your fingertips and download the News24 app for Android here now. Get it for your iPhone here.

KEEP UPDATED on the latest news by subscribing to our FREE newsletter.

- FOLLOW News24 on Twitter


We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
42% - 375 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
58% - 515 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.94
-0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.90
-0.0%
Rand - Euro
20.43
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.34
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.1%
Platinum
908.50
+1.3%
Palladium
1,017.25
+1.5%
Gold
2,221.02
+1.2%
Silver
24.85
+0.9%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
68,346
+1.0%
All Share
74,536
+0.8%
Resource 10
57,251
+2.8%
Industrial 25
103,936
+0.6%
Financial 15
16,502
-0.1%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE