MSF worker infected with Ebola in Congo, evacuated to the Netherlands | Today’s news

(Bloomberg) — A MSF worker contracted Ebola while helping to fight the largest outbreak of the disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo and is being evacuated to the Netherlands for treatment.

The staff member tested positive for the Bundibugyo virus and is being evacuated under strict medical protocols in coordination with the Congolese and Dutch health authorities, Médecins Sans Frontières, also known as Doctors Without Borders, said in a statement on Thursday.

Separately, a Montreal hospital on Thursday isolated a patient with symptoms consistent with Ebola and activated infection control protocols while investigating the case, the CBC reported. The hospital said no risk to the public had been identified.

The aid worker’s infection underscores the risks of the epidemic, which has sickened hundreds of medical personnel. According to the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention, about 254 health workers have been infected and 50 have died since the outbreak.

Congo has recorded 8,224 confirmed infections and 3,982 deaths since the outbreak began in May, the National Institute of Public Health said on Wednesday. 53 new cases and 28 deaths were recorded on 29 September, including 22 people who died in the community.

Despite the expanding response, the epidemic remains difficult to contain. Nearly 80% of the new infections were detected in people who were not yet on contact lists, Wessam Mankoula, who heads the CDC’s and World Health Organization’s joint Africa Incident Management Support Team, told reporters Thursday.

While Congo reported 79% of reported contacts as of September 29, the African CDC estimates that responders are reaching only 23% of the number of contacts expected from known cases. Congo monitored more than 30,000 identified contacts that day.

“We cannot say with certainty that the outbreak is under control at this stage,” Mankoula said.

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