Cote d’Ivoire Declares First Ebola Outbreak Since 1994

The first case of Ebola in Cote d’Ivoire since 1994 has been confirmed by the country’s health ministry.

The virus was discovered in samples obtained from a patient who was hospitalized in Abidjan after arriving from Guinea, according to the Pasteur Institute.

The individual had travelled to Cote d’Ivoire by road and reached Abidjan on 12 August. The patient was admitted to a hospital after experiencing a fever and is receiving treatment.

The Ebola crisis in Guinea was declared over on 19 June 2021 after four months and there is no indication that the current case in Cote d’Ivoire is linked.

Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, expressed concern about the outbreak in Abidjan, a metropolis of more than four million people.

“Much of the world’s expertise in tackling Ebola is here on the continent and Cote d’Ivoire can tap into this experience and bring the response to full speed,” he said.

Moeti recalled that the nation is one of the six the world body supported recently to beef up their Ebola readiness.

This quick diagnosis shows preparedness is paying off, the official added.

At least 5,000 Ebola vaccines which the WHO helped secure to fight the outbreak in Guinea are being transferred to Cote d’Ivoire, following an agreement between the neighbours.