Rapid Risk Assessment: Ebola virus disease outbreak in Equateur Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo – 2018

This is the ninth Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since the discovery of the virus in 1976; DRC has experience in responding to such outbreaks. Rapid public health response measures were implemented, and the WHO, together with its partners from the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), are supporting the national health authorities in the response.
Despite the fact that the outbreak is in a remote area, the proximity to the Congo River increases the risk that the virus will spread to neighbouring regions and countries.
For European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) citizens living in, or travelling through, DRC, the risk of exposure is extremely low. The overall risk of introduction and further spread of Ebola virus within the EU/EEA is currently considered to be extremely low.
Information about the extent of the outbreak is still limited, and investigations are ongoing. ECDC is closely monitoring this outbreak and will re-evaluate the risk for EU/EEA citizens if the epidemiological situation changes.