Description of the situation
18 October 1996
Disease Outbreak Reported
As at 18 October, 18 cases of Ebola haemorrhagic fever have been reported of which 11 were fatal in the Booué region. Two patients have recovered and five are still under treatment. Three of the four new cases were in children who had been in close contact with previously registered cases. Four patients are currently under treatment and two are recovering. A further 111 contacts have been identified. Most (100) are in the Ogooué-Ivindo Province but a few have been reported Moyen Oogoué, Latoursville, Oogoué Lolo and Libreville situated between 300 and 500 km from Booué. The Ministry of Health has taken precautions to assure that these contacts are under strict surveillance.
An isolation ward has been prepared in Booué Hospital and samples for laboratory investigation have been collected from patients and close contacts. An education and information campaign for health workers has been undertaken in regions where the epidemic has occurred and in bordering areas where there have been no reports of suspected cases.
An International Committee for Technical and Scientific Coordination was established in Gabon with the collaboration of the WHO following the announcement of an outbreak of haemorrhagic fever in the Booué region. It includes experts from the Gabonese Ministry of Health, the International Medical Research Centre in Franceville, Gabon, Coopération Française and WHO.