Ebola outbreak in DR Congo: Over 80 dead, 246 cases reported in Ituri province; health emergency declared

Africa’s top public health agency has declared an Ebola outbreak in the eastern Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with 246 cases and 80 deaths reported so far, mainly in the gold-mining towns of Mongwalu and Rwampara.The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said preliminary laboratory tests conducted at the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale in Kinshasa have confirmed the virus in 13 of 20 samples, while further tests are underway to determine the strain. Of the reported deaths, four were among confirmed cases.Additional suspected infections have been reported in the provincial capital Bunia. Health officials have warned of a high risk of further spread due to population movement, urban settings in affected areas, and mining activity, BBC reported. Uganda on Friday also confirmed an imported Ebola case linked to DR Congo. The Ugandan health ministry said a 59-year-old Congolese man, who was admitted to a hospital in Kampala on Monday, died on Thursday in intensive care after testing positive for Ebola. Authorities said no local transmission has been detected so far.Africa CDC executive director Dr Jean Kaseya said ‘significant population movement’ between affected regions and neighbouring countries made regional coordination essential. The agency has called for joint action with DR Congo, Uganda, South Sudan and other partners to strengthen surveillance and response measures.The Congolese government has not yet formally declared the outbreak but is expected to hold a press briefing. It has also convened consultations with neighbouring countries and international partners on containment strategies.Ebola, first identified in 1976 in what is now DR Congo, is believed to have originated in bats and spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids. The disease causes severe bleeding, organ failure and has an average fatality rate of around 50%, according to the World Health Organization.Early symptoms include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache and sore throat, followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash and internal or external bleeding. There is no proven cure, though supportive treatment can improve survival chances.Ituri province has remained volatile, with military rule imposed in 2021 amid long-running activity by armed groups, including the Islamic State-linked Allied Democratic Forces.DR Congo has experienced 17 Ebola outbreaks since the virus was first discovered. The country’s deadliest outbreak between 2018 and 2020 killed nearly 2,300 people, while a separate outbreak last year in Kasai province killed 45. Around 15,000 people have died from Ebola across Africa over the past five decades.