A new outbreak of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has triggered urgent public health measures after the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) confirmed dozens of fatalities and hundreds of suspected cases in the country’s north-eastern region.
Health body announces outbreak on social media
The Africa CDC confirmed an outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Ituri province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The organisation’s press office announced the development via X on Friday.
The new outbreak in the north-east of the DRC has raised alarm among regional authorities and international health bodies. According to Africa CDC, the outbreak has already been linked to 65 deaths.
A total of around 246 infections have been recorded across the country. Preliminary analyses have confirmed the presence of the Ebola virus in 13 out of 20 samples tested. Specialists are continuing to determine the specific strain involved.
Four deaths confirmed in Ituri, a province scarred by past epidemic
Four fatalities have been officially confirmed through laboratory testing in Ituri province. The region experienced one of the world’s largest Ebola outbreaks between 2018 and 2020, when more than 3,400 people fell ill and over 2,200 died.
Suspected cases have also been identified in the city of Bunia, home to approximately 700,000 residents.
“High risk” of spread due to gold mining, conflict and porous borders
Africa CDC has warned that the risk of disease spread remains high. Contributing factors include high population mobility in gold mining areas, armed conflicts, challenges in tracing contacts of infected individuals, and the province’s proximity to the borders of Uganda and South Sudan.
Ebola is considered one of the most dangerous infectious diseases globally. The virus is transmitted through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person and can cause fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and internal bleeding.
