A new Ebola outbreak has been reported in the eastern Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the country’s health ministry. Officials said that 65 people have died so far due to the outbreak, raising serious health concerns in the region.
Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba Mulamba said that tests conducted on Thursday confirmed eight cases of the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus in the health zones of Rwampara, Mongwalu, and Bunia. Health teams are now working to control the spread of the disease.
What is Ebola virus disease
Ebola virus disease is a serious and often deadly illness commonly found in Congo’s tropical forest regions. According to the Africa CDC, the virus spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people, contaminated objects, or people who have died from the disease.
How did the latest outbreak begin
According to a Hindustan Times report, authorities said that 246 suspected cases have been identified so far. Authorities said the suspected first patient was a nurse at the Evangelical Medical Centre in Bunia who later died after showing Ebola symptoms. Investigators believe the virus spread rapidly in nearby health zones including Mongwalu and Rwampara, where most suspected cases and deaths have been reported.
Why are health officials worried about this strain
As per Hindustan Times report, the Africa CDC said early findings suggest that the current outbreak may involve a non-Zaire strain of the Ebola virus, while genetic testing is still continuing. Congolese virologist Jean-Jacques Muyembe, who co-discovered Ebola and leads the National Institute for Biomedical Research in Kinshasa, said that 15 out of Congo’s previous 16 Ebola outbreaks were linked to the Zaire strain of the virus.Muyembe warned that finding a different Ebola variant could make response efforts more difficult because current vaccines and treatments were mainly developed for the Zaire strain of the virus.
"Africa CDC is concerned about the risk of further spread due to the urban context of Bunia and Rwampara" as well as "intense population movement" and mobility related to mining in the affected areas, which are close to Uganda and South Sudan, the agency said, according to a Hindustan Times report. "Given the high population movement between affected areas and neighbouring countries, rapid regional coordination is essential," Africa CDC director general Jean Kaseya was quoted as saying in the statement.
Uganda’s health ministry also reported that a Congolese man died in Kampala from the Bundibugyo strain of the virus. Officials said the infection came from Congo and confirmed that no local transmission has been detected so far.
How is Africa CDC handling the Ebola crisis
Africa’s top public health agency confirmed the Ebola outbreak in Congo’s Ituri province on Friday and reported 65 deaths initially. The Africa CDC said it was holding an urgent meeting with Congo, Uganda, South Sudan, and international partners to improve cross-border monitoring, preparedness, and emergency response measures.
In response to the outbreak, the Democratic Republic of Congo government activated its public health emergency operations centre, increased laboratory and health surveillance, and quickly deployed emergency response teams. Most deaths and suspected cases have been reported from the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones, while more suspected infections were also found in Bunia, the provincial capital.
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What measures are being taken to control the outbreak
The Congo government has activated its emergency operations centre, increased laboratory surveillance, and deployed rapid response teams. According to a Hindustan Times report, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the organisation released $500,000 from its emergency fund to support The World Health Organization (WHO) learned about the suspected Ebola cases on May 5 and sent a team to Ituri for investigations. According to a Hindustan Times report, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said early samples tested negative, but later tests in Kinshasa confirmed positive cases, raising the total confirmed infections to 13.
This is Congo’s 17th Ebola outbreak since the virus was first discovered in the country in 1976. The most recent outbreak took place in Kasai province and ended on December 1 after lasting for three months, with 45 deaths and 19 recoveries reported among 64 total cases.
