Description of the situation
03 February 1998
Disease Outbreak Reported
Since November 1997, 445 cases of which 83 were fatal (case fatality rate 20%) have been reported in Pointe-Noire in the southern part of the country. The cases occurred between 7 November 1997 and 27 January 1998. Vibrio cholerae O1 has been isolated from 6 specimens at the Institut National de Recherche Medicale, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Representatives of the Ministry of Health, WHO, Médecins Sans Frontières, Unicef, the International Red Cross and other NGO's met on 1 February to develop a control strategy and establish a national and regional committee to coordinate activities. A team from WHO has been sent to the outbreak area to assist in the investigation and control activities.