DRC minister says people don't 'need to be in panic' over Ebola outbreak

A top official from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where an Ebola outbreak continues to spread, is advising that there is no need to panic.

Minister of Communication Patrick Muyaya -- speaking from the epicenter of the outbreak in Bunia in the DRC's northeastern Ituri province -- said on Friday that the country has experience dealing with many previous Ebola outbreaks and is equipped to get this outbreak under control.

"We have experience, we have [some] of the most experienced doctors in the world dealing with this kind of strain and we have people on the ground," he told ABC News. "We are providing [information every day] so people [don't] need to be in panic. This situation is, of course, serious because it's touched people's lives."

Muyaya noted that it's been about 14 days since the outbreak was first declared and the government has given itself between 90 and 120 days to "handle the situation."

"After two weeks, I can say we put on a good basis, good foundation," he said. "And I think if we continue by being consistent on what we should do, what we should say, and I think this will be helped to change the perception of the population about the strain."

Currently, there are 906 suspected cases and 223 suspected deaths in the DRC.

Overall, the World Health Organization's latest update on Friday, listed 134 confirmed cases and 18 confirmed deaths in the DRC and neighboring Uganda.

Additionally, there are 2,635 contacts of suspected cases who are being monitored, and 125 people are in treatment, according to Muyaya.

He shared that the country has seen its first recovery in a female patient who was released from treatment after having two negative tests, a sign that the tide may be turning.

Muyaya said he remained optimistic.

"We know the way the virus works, and especially with the way we are engaging different communities, the way we are asking people to avoid to be in contact with those who have the virus," Muyaya said, referencing safe burials of those who die with Ebola."

Muyaya added that aid organizations have stepped up and the country is receiving plenty of supplies to help support health care workers.

Muyaya insisted that this not another COVID-19 pandemic, echoing what other public health experts have previously said.

He said the world has been "traumatized" by the COVID pandemic and that may be why countries like Uganda have closed its borders with the DRC, despite insistence from the WHO that "such measures are usually implemented out of fear and have no basis in science."

He noted that Ebola is not a respiratory illness like COVID and that the disease is spread through contact with the bodily fluids of infected patients.

Muyaya said one of the biggest challenges the DRC faces is misinformation and disinformation about Ebola, especially on social media. There have been reports of people in the outbreak region who don't believe that Ebola is spread or believe that it was brought in by aid workers to earn money.

"It's clear that one of the tough challenges every government is facing actually is misinformation, disinformation, especially social media," Muyaya said.

He said the government is trying to combat this by providing daily briefings with the health minister and engaging with leaders in the local community to spread information about dangerous Ebola can be.

"And I think providing all this information in low level, in each level of population, will be the best way -- if it's combined with the accurate information we do currently every single night -- I think this combination will help us to fight against this virus," Muyaya said.