A new Ebola outbreak has been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo's remote Ituri province, Africa's top public health body announced on Friday. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths so far, primarily in the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones. Neighboring Uganda later confirmed one death in an Ebola case it said was imported from Congo.
Outbreak Details
The Africa CDC stated that 65 deaths have been attributed to the outbreak, with four of those confirmed in a laboratory. Ebola is highly contagious and can be contracted through bodily fluids such as vomit, blood, or semen. The disease it causes is rare but severe and often fatal. Scientists are working to determine the exact virus driving the current outbreak. While the Ebola Zaire strain has been prominent in past outbreaks in Congo, initial results suggest a variant other than Ebola Zaire, with sequencing ongoing.
Uganda Reports Imported Case
Uganda's Health Ministry reported one Ebola case involving a Congolese man admitted to a hospital in Kampala three days before his death. Officials said the case was imported from Congo, and Uganda has not confirmed any local cases. The patient was tested posthumously after Congo confirmed its outbreak. All contacts linked to the man have been quarantined, and his body has been returned to Congo. The ministry stated the person was infected with the Bundibugyo virus, a variant endemic in Uganda.
Response and Concerns
The World Health Organization said Congo has a stockpile of treatments and about 2,000 doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine, which is effective against the Ebola Zaire strain but not against the Sudan or Bundibugyo viruses. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced that the WHO sent a team to help investigate and collect samples, releasing $500,000 to aid the response. The Africa CDC expressed concern about further spread due to population movement, mining-related mobility in Mongwalu, insecurity, gaps in contact listing, and control challenges. The proximity of affected areas to Uganda and South Sudan also raises concerns.
Past Outbreaks
This marks the 17th Ebola outbreak in Congo since the disease first emerged in 1976. An outbreak from 2018 to 2020 in eastern Congo killed over 1,000 people, and a West Africa outbreak from 2014 to 2016 killed more than 11,000. The new outbreak adds worry for the Central African country, which is also battling armed groups in the east and faces logistical challenges. Dr. Gabriel Nsakala, a public health professor involved in past responses, emphasized that health workers have high experience and existing infrastructure, but expertise and equipment need to be delivered quickly.
