Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: ECDC updates assessment for Europe
After the Ebola virus disease outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 17 July 2019, ECDC updated its risk assessment for the EU/EEA on the on-going outbreak: the overall risk of introduction and further spread of the Ebola virus within the EU/EEA remains very low.
To date, no travel-associated cases of Ebola virus disease have been reported among travelers returning to Europe from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The probability that EU/EEA citizens living or travelling in the affected areas in the DRC will be exposed to the virus remains low as long as they follow the recommended precautionary measures provided in the ECDC assessment.
The ECDC assessment outlines options for response to the outbreak for EU/EEA visitors to and residents of the affected areas in DRC and concludes that the overall risk of introduction and further spread of the Ebola virus within the EU/EEA is still very low.
However, the risk can only be eliminated by stopping transmission at the local level in the DRC.
Alongside the declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on 17 July 2019, the Emergency Committee raised concerns regarding the possible extension of the outbreak, re-infection and on-going transmission as well as the need for an intensified and coordinated action to manage these risks. According to the World Health Organization, the risk of transmission at national and regional level in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) remains very high but still low at global level.
Read the full rapid risk assessment:
Risk assessment
Rapid risk assessment: Ebola virus disease outbreak in North Kivu and Ituri Provinces, Democratic Republic of the Congo – fifth update
This is the fifth update of a rapid risk assessment originally produced on 9 August 2018. This rapid risk assessment addresses the potential public health impact of Ebola virus disease for EU/EEA countries and assesses the likelihood of international expansion.
