Congo officially declares the end of Ebola outbreak that claimed 133 lives in 10-weeks

The Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday officially declared the end of an outbreak of Ebola after a 10-week re-emergence of the disease which claimed 33 lives. 
 “After an observation period of 42 days during which no new confirmed cases have been observed, and in conformity with international health regulations, I declare today, July 24 2018, that the epidemic of Ebola virus disease in  province in the Democratic Republic of Congo has come to an end,” Health Minister Oly Ilungasaid in a statement. 
The recent outbreak which is the ninth in the Democratic Republic of Congo since 1976 began in the remote northwestern area of Bikoro, where the first cases were recorded on May 8th 2018. 
 The same strain of the highly contagious disease struck the West African states of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone in 2013 through to 2015, killing more than 11,300 people.  “In total, after verification, the national coordinating committee recorded 54 cases (of Ebola), comprising 33 deaths and 21 survivors”