Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • World
  • Mid-East
  • Europe
  • Americas
  • Asia Pacific
  • Africa
  • Syrian Crisis
  • Islamophobia

Plague returns to DR Congo after 40 years

by DAILY SABAH

ISTANBUL Mar 10, 2021 - 5:14 pm GMT+3
A multidisciplinary team mandated by the Provincial Health Division put on personal protective equipment (PPE) in Ituri, Democratic Republic of Congo on Feb. 26, 2021. (AFP Photo)
A multidisciplinary team mandated by the Provincial Health Division put on personal protective equipment (PPE) in Ituri, Democratic Republic of Congo on Feb. 26, 2021. (AFP Photo)
by DAILY SABAH Mar 10, 2021 5:14 pm

A remote region in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is one of the oldest plague hotspots in the world. The plague has been on the rise since the end of 2020 in an outlying area on the borders of Uganda and Sudan.

The plague was first detected in 1926 in Ituri Province, a remote area in the northeast of the DRC. Health authorities in the province say the "Congolese hotspot is the oldest in the world."

"The spread of the plague has not stopped since it discovered. It appears and disappears. Now, it has returned after 40 years. The population was not prepared," said environmental epidemiologist Anne Laudisoit, who is part of a multidisciplinary team dispatched to the site, as reported by Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Since November, more than 15.330 suspected plague infections have been recorded, including seven deaths, according to reviewed epidemiological records. It is transmitted to humans through infected fleas on rodents, especially black rats. In search of food, rats carrying fleas enter people's homes.

"The population is unaware of the danger that fleas and rats pose to the transmission and persistence of the plague," Michel Mandro, a Congolese doctor who works at the regional health department explained.

He noted that "the regional laboratory specialized in analyzing the strains of the epidemic, which has been in the province for a long time, has not been operating for more than 30 years." Mandro stressed that "this requires actors in this field to send samples to the National Institute of Biomedical Research in Kinshasa, which is more than two thousand kilometers away."

The suspicious specimens have yet to be confirmed, which according to experts, is exemplary of the neglect over the years to research the disease in the DRC. The country, which has a population of 84 million, has been relatively spared from the coronavirus, with 26,405 infections and 711 deaths recorded since March 10, 2020.

A new outbreak of Ebola was reported in February in North Kivu province, which borders Ituri. A woman died on Feb. 4 from the Ebola virus in hospital while being treated, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO also noted that 117 contacts were made and response activities continue.

Ebola killed more than 2,000 people during the outbreak that lasted from August 2018 to June 2020.

  • shortlink copied
  • RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    plague democratic republic of congo africa covid-19 outbreak
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    A crude oil tanker sails in the Bosporus, on its way to the Mediterranean Sea, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Dec. 11, 2022. (Reuters Photo)

    Türkiye registers better-than-expected current account gap

    current-account-balance
     Eastern Anatolian Fault line triggered another fault segment called the Sürgü fault, Middle East Technical University (METU), Ankara, Feb. 9, 2023. (DHA Photo)

    Accumulated tension of hundreds of years moved Anatolia by 3m

    Harold-Tobin

    Istanbul's spectacular, historical grand bazaars and markets

    Travel

    Istanbul's consulate chronicles: Sudhi Choudhary, Consul General of India

    SUDHI-CHOUDHARY
    No Image
    Water lilies paint Gölbaşı Lake in Hatay green
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021