Africa’s top public health body has confirmed a new Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with at least 65 people dead and hundreds of suspected cases reported in a remote northeastern province.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said it is closely monitoring the confirmed Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in Ituri province, DRC, and is working with national authorities and partners to support a rapid, coordinated response.
As of the latest update, about 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths have been reported, mainly in the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones.
“Four deaths have been reported among laboratory-confirmed cases. Suspected cases have also been reported in Bunia, pending confirmation,” the agency said.
Preliminary laboratory results from the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB) detected Ebola virus in 13 of 20 samples tested. The results suggest a non-Zaire ebolavirus, with sequencing ongoing to further characterise the strain.
The latest outbreak comes around five months after Congo’s last Ebola outbreak was declared over after 43 deaths. Ituri is in a remote part of Congo characterised by poor road networks, and is more than 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) from the nation’s capital of Kinshasa.
Africa CDC convened an urgent high-level regional coordination meeting on Friday with health authorities from DRC, Uganda and South Sudan, as well as key partners including the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, the U.S. CDC and several pharmaceutical companies.
“Given the high population movement between affected areas and neighbouring countries, rapid regional coordination is essential. We are working with DRC, Uganda, South Sudan and partners to strengthen surveillance, preparedness and response, and to help contain the outbreak as quickly as possible,” said Dr Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC.
Ebola is highly contagious and can be contracted through bodily fluids such as vomit, blood, or semen. The disease is rare but severe, and often fatal.
