Congo Begins Vaccinating High-risk Groups in New Ebola Outbreak

The Democratic Republic of the Congo yesterday launched an Ebola vaccination campaign for high-risk populations in North Kivu province, where a new outbreak of the virus was announced last week. A total of 44 cases have been reported to date, including 17 confirmed. The new cases are in a province near Rwanda and Uganda with armed conflict and cross-border movement due to trade. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has deployed experts to DRC and the World Health Organization to provide guidance during the outbreak, and recommends travelers to the area seek medical care immediately if they develop symptoms. U.S. health care and public health professionals can register to attend a Sept. 19-20 workshop in Omaha, NE, on preparing for Ebola and other emerging infectious diseases, offered by the National Ebola Training and Education Center. NETEC also will offer the two-day workshop later this year in Boston and next year in Denver; Spokane, WA; and Baltimore. For additional Ebola preparedness resources, visit https://netec.org.