In August 2020, Global Outbreak and Alert and Response Network (GOARN) sent a request for assistance for epidemiologists to be deployed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to support the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak response in the Equateur Province.
As of 14 February 2021, seven cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) have been reported in Guinea, including three deaths. Among these cases, three have been laboratory-confirmed at the national reference laboratory. Four cases remain in isolation at healthcare facilities.
As of 14 February 2021, four cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD), including two deaths, have been reported in the North Kivu province in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where a large outbreak was declared over in June 2020. Two health zones are currently affected: Biena and Katwa.
On 18 November 2020, the 11th outbreak of Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was declared over. There have been 130 cases, including 55 deaths reported from 13 health zones in the Equateur Province since the beginning of the outbreak almost six months ago.
On 1 June 2020, a new outbreak of Ebola virus disease was declared in Wangata Health Zone, near Mbandaka, the regional capital of Equateur Province in the western region of DRC.
A total of 13 200 measles cases were reported by the EU/EEA countries and the UK in 2019. In addition, approximately 1 000 measles cases were reported in the first two months of 2020. Cases were reported in all age groups. This highlights the importance of continuous efforts to improve routine childhood immunisation programmes and address immunity gaps in the population.
European Immunization Week (EIW) is marked across the European Region every April. It aims to raise awareness of the importance of immunisation for people’s health and well-being. ECDC supports the European Immunization Week campaign lead by WHO/Europe by providing scientific evidence on immunisation.
Two out of the four drugs tested in a multi-drug randomised control trial have been found more effective in treating Ebola, the World Health Organization announced on Monday. The Data and Safety Monitoring Board, an independent body that has been reviewing interim safety and efficacy data, has therefore recommended that the study be stopped and that all future patients be randomized to receive either REGN-EB3 or mAb114, in what is being considered an extension phase of the study.
After the Ebola virus disease outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 17 July 2019, ECDC updated its risk assessment for the EU/EEA on the on-going outbreak: the overall risk of introduction and further spread of the Ebola virus within the EU/EEA remains very low.