Ebola Outbreak Kills 65 in Eastern DR Congo – Novinite.com

A new Ebola outbreak has been confirmed in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, with health authorities reporting 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths in the Ituri province. The outbreak has been concentrated mainly in the gold-mining areas of Mongwalu and Rwampara, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

The agency said on Friday that it is coordinating an emergency response with DR Congo and neighbouring countries, including Uganda and South Sudan, along with international partners. The focus is on strengthening cross-border surveillance and improving containment measures as authorities assess the scale of the spread.

Health officials have begun laboratory testing to confirm the extent of the outbreak. Preliminary analysis at the National Biomedical Research Institute in Kinshasa detected the virus in 13 out of 20 samples, carried out in coordination with the country’s health ministry and public health institutions. Among the confirmed deaths, four have been linked to laboratory-confirmed cases.

Additional suspected infections have been reported in Bunia, the provincial capital of Ituri, with further tests still pending. Authorities have not yet issued a formal national outbreak declaration, although officials indicated that a public briefing was expected.

The Africa CDC warned that the situation is complicated by population movement and local economic activity. It noted that “intense population movement, mining-related mobility in Mongwalu” and the urban nature of affected areas could accelerate transmission if containment is not strengthened.

Ebola virus disease is a severe and often deadly illness transmitted through direct contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated materials. Health experts stress that early symptoms include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headaches, and sore throat, with the disease potentially progressing to severe bleeding and organ failure. There is currently no approved cure.

The virus was first identified in 1976 in what is now DR Congo, and is believed to have originated from animal hosts such as bats. This is the 17th recorded outbreak in the country.

Historically, Ebola has caused widespread fatalities across Africa, with an estimated 50,000 deaths over the past five decades. DR Congo’s deadliest outbreak occurred between 2018 and 2020, when nearly 2,300 people died. A separate outbreak last year in the Kasai region resulted in 45 fatalities.

Authorities say the current situation requires heightened regional coordination due to the risk of cross-border transmission and the presence of multiple health zones already reporting suspected cases.