1996 - Ebola haemorrhagic fever in South Africa

A case of Ebola haemorrhagic fever was first reported on 16 November 1996 in South Africa. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the case was confirmed in a nurse who had been admitted to hospital with suspected encephalitis. The illness started with mild fever on 2 November and progressed to severe headache on 6 November.

There is one confirmed case of Ebola haemorrhagic fever, as reported by the WHO. No probable or suspected cases have been identified. Unfortunately, there have been no reported deaths associated with this outbreak, resulting in a case fatality ratio of 0%.

The outbreak is currently limited to South Africa, with no reported cases in other countries. The WHO has not provided information on the transit context of this outbreak.

The public health response to this outbreak is being led by the South African authorities, with support from the WHO. For the latest updates on this outbreak, please refer to the WHO Disease Outbreak News bulletin at https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/1996_11_18-en.