Ebola Outbreak Declared in Eastern DR Congo as 65 Deaths Reported

BBC – Africa’s top health agency has confirmed an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s eastern Ituri province.

About 246 cases and 65 deaths have been reported, mostly in the gold-mining towns of Mongwalu and Rwampara, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). In a statement on Friday, the agency said it was holding a meeting with DR Congo, neighbouring Uganda and South Sudan, as well as other international partners, to set priorities including response measures and cross-border surveillance.

Ebola was first identified in 1976 in what is now DR Congo and is believed to have originated from bats. This marks the country’s 17th outbreak of the deadly virus.

The disease spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids or broken skin, causing severe bleeding and organ failure. Early symptoms include fever, muscle pain, fatigue, headache, and sore throat, followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, and bleeding. There is currently no proven cure for Ebola. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates an average fatality rate of around 50%.

Preliminary tests at the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB) in Kinshasa have confirmed the virus in 13 of 20 samples, following coordination with DR Congo’s Ministry of Health and National Public Health Institute. Further tests are ongoing to determine the strain.

Of the 65 deaths, four were confirmed in laboratory-tested cases, Africa CDC said. Additional suspected infections have also been reported in Bunia, the provincial capital of Ituri, with results still pending.

Africa CDC raised concern over the high risk of further spread due to urban activity in Rwampara and Bunia, as well as mining operations in Mongwalu. The agency’s executive director, Dr Jean Kaseya, warned that significant population movement between affected areas and neighbouring countries makes regional coordination essential.

Authorities have urged affected and at-risk communities to follow national health guidelines. The Congolese government has not yet officially declared the outbreak, though a press briefing is expected.

Ituri has been under military administration since 2021, with civilian authority replaced in efforts to curb armed groups operating in the region, including the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which is linked to the Islamic State group.

Around 15,000 people have died from Ebola across Africa over the past 50 years. The country’s deadliest outbreak occurred between 2018 and 2020, when nearly 2,300 people died. Last year, 45 deaths were recorded during an outbreak in Bulape in Kasai province.