2002 - Ebola haemorrhagic fever in Gabon/The Republic of the Congo Update 13

As of 6 January 2002, a disease outbreak of Ebola haemorrhagic fever has been reported in Gabon and the Republic of the Congo. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the first reported case was on 6 January 2002. The current status of the outbreak is that 33 confirmed cases have been reported, including 24 deaths.

The case counts indicate that there are 33 confirmed cases, with 15 confirmed by laboratory testing and 18 epidemiologically linked. Of these confirmed cases, 20 have been detected in Gabon and 13 in villages close to the border between the two countries. The case fatality ratio is 72.7%, based on 24 deaths out of 33 confirmed cases. The WHO reports that an additional 15 suspected cases in Gabon are under investigation.

The outbreak is currently limited to Gabon and the Republic of the Congo, with no reported cases in other countries. The WHO has not reported any information on vessel or aircraft outbreaks related to this disease.

The public health response to the outbreak is being led by the WHO, in collaboration with the governments of Gabon and the Republic of the Congo. For the latest updates on the outbreak, please visit the WHO Disease Outbreak News website at https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2002_01_07-en.