The number of suspected Ebola cases still under investigation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has dropped sharply to 116, the country's health ministry said Tuesday.
The decline came after many previously listed suspected cases were tested and ruled out, World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said Tuesday.
A DRC health ministry report released on May 27 said the country had recorded 1,077 suspected Ebola cases as of May 26.
Lindmeier told reporters that during the outbreak, anyone identified through surveillance or seeking treatment at a healthcare facility with Ebola-like symptoms is initially considered a suspected case until testing confirms otherwise. After laboratory tests, many of those cases were ruled out, with some found to be malaria, meningitis or other unrelated illnesses, he said.
According to the latest DRC health ministry update, as of Monday, the country had reported more than 340 confirmed Ebola cases, including 60 deaths. A total of six patients have recovered.
The WHO declared the Ebola outbreak in the DRC a public health emergency of international concern on May 17. The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment.
DR Congo revises down number of suspected Ebola cases
DR Congo revises down number of suspected Ebola cases
Beijing authorities have taken steps to safeguard against the risk of flooding as the Chinese capital officially entered its annual flood season on Monday, with the relevant departments actively preparing various support measures to enhance emergency response capabilities.
Before the start of this year's flood season, authorities carried out inspections for flood-related risks at critical locations, continued rolling improvements to points prone to flooding, and strengthened the city's capacity for monitoring, forecasting, and providing early warnings.
Officials detailed how a comprehensive array of measures have been put in place, with high-tech monitoring equipment and drones deployed to support efforts in the more suburban and outlying areas of the city.
"Additional underground water level gauges are now in place, with all 440 units fully installed and commissioned. The system enables monitoring of all 36 cross-border rivers and 11 cross-border drainage ditches at municipal and town boundaries. In the mountains, efforts have included the construction of 39 new super base stations, signal optimization at 146 village locations, and the deployment of 11 drone-borne communication base stations to enhance grassroots emergency communication for flood control," said Li Yu, deputy head of Beijing Municipal Emergency Management Bureau.
Currently, more than 9,600 geological disaster risk points have been identified in Beijing, which are mainly distributed in the northern and western mountain areas of the capital.
Comprehensive door-to-door inspections have been carried out ahead of the flood season, while designated evacuation zones to cope with different warning levels have been established.
Beijing has also built more than 1,000 emergency safety shelters for residents in its mountain villages, and has also implemented a range of engineering protection measures.
Xu Jingyao, deputy head of the Hebei Town in the city's southwestern Fangshan District, explained how roadside slopes have been reinforced to protect against possible disasters.
"In places like this where the terrain is particularly steep, the soil is loose, and there are people's homes right below, we have carried out reinforcement projects. We use concrete lattice structures to stabilize the slope," said Xu.
City authorities have also continued key tasks such as dredging, obstacle removal, and have carried out reconstruction work on damaged flood-related projects on six major rivers including the Yongding River, as well as around 20 key mountain torrent channels.
"Before the flood season, our urban management and law enforcement department inspected all river-related projects, contacted the river management authorities, and checked the operation and trial operation of all sluice and pumping stations across the city, ensuring they can function properly during the flood season," said Xu Yin, deputy head of the Fengtai detachment of Water Affairs Law Enforcement Unit under the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Coordinated Administrative Law Enforcement for Urban Management.
The Beijing fire and rescue department has readied 470 mobile patrol units at key locations, including flash flood-prone mountain villages and other at-risk areas, as well as at rail transit stations.
The emergency personnel are on standby to be deployed when required, and can respond immediately to handle communications, rescue operations, and supply deliveries.
Beijing ramps up flood control measures as annual flood season begins
