2017 Outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in Northern Democratic Republic of Congo

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Abstract

Background: In 2017, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) recorded its eighth Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak, approximately 3 years after the previous outbreak. Methods: Suspect cases of EVD were identified on the basis of clinical and epidemiological information. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis or serological testing was used to confirm Ebola virus infection in suspected cases. The causative virus was later sequenced from a RT-PCR-positive individual and assessed using phylogenetic analysis. Results: Three probable and 5 laboratory-confirmed cases of EVD were recorded between 27 March and 1 July 2017 in the DRC. Fifty percent of cases died from the infection. EVD cases were detected in 4 separate areas, resulting in > 270 contacts monitored. The complete genome of the causative agent, a variant from the Zaireebolavirus species, denoted Ebola virus Muyembe, was obtained using next-generation sequencing. This variant is genetically closest, with 98.73% homology, to the Ebola virus Mayinga variant isolated from the first DRC outbreaks in 1976-1977. Conclusion: A single spillover event into the human population is responsible for this DRC outbreak. Human-to-human transmission resulted in limited dissemination of the causative agent, a novel Ebola virus variant closely related to the initial Mayinga variant isolated in 1976-1977 in the DRC.

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Nsio, J., Kapetshi, J., Makiala, S., Raymond, F., Tshapenda, G., Boucher, N., … Muyembe, J. J. T. (2020). 2017 Outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in Northern Democratic Republic of Congo. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 221(5), 701–706. https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiz107

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