Ebola in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo: One Health approach to infectious disease control

Sikakulya, Franck katembo; Mulisya, Olivier; Munyambalu, Dalton Kambale; Bunduki, Gabriel Kambale

In Uganda, during previous outbreaks, including zoonoses such Ebola and Marburg fever, the environmental health practitioners (EHPs) working in the One Health team contributed immensely to reducing morbidity and mortality from these outbreaks [29] . Their duties included inspection of animals before slaughter (ante mortem) and meat in abattoirs (post mortem), inspection of meat in butcheries, destruction of condemned meat, disease surveillance, outbreak investigation and control of zoonosis, control of vectors and vermin such as rats, fleas, mosquitoes, and monkeys, health education on pertinent issues such as vaccination of dogs, and food safety including meat and milk. They also played an important role in prevention, detection, and abatement of microbial and chemical pollution of land, air, and water sources that have created new threats to the health of both animals and humans. EHPs carry out house to house inspections on water, sanitation, and hygiene, hence are involved in abating risk factors at households that could pose a threat to public health. Such threats could be linked to the environment, as well as to animals [30] .