DAKAR, Senegal - Authorities have confirmed an Ebola case not far from Congo’s border with South Sudan, a country with a weak health care system after years of civil war that is vulnerable to the potential spread of the deadly disease. The 40-year-old woman had travelled nearly 500 kilometres (289 miles) from Beni, despite having been identified by health officials as having been exposed to Ebola and warned not to travel. Her case was confirmed in Ariwara, Congo, about 70 kilometres (43 miles) from the border with South Sudan’s Yei River State, according to a report from South Sudan’s health ministry that was viewed Tuesday by The Associated Press. It is the closest confirmed case to South Sudan since the outbreak began in Congo last August, according to an official with close knowledge of the outbreak who spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak on the record. People who have come into contact with Ebola patients are supposed to be monitored for 21 days, the incubation period during which symptoms can emerge after exposure.

Source: thestar July 02, 2019 13:01 UTC