Daijiworld Media Network – Kinshasa
Kinshasa, May 16: The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has declared an Ebola outbreak in the eastern Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with 246 cases and 80 deaths reported so far, mainly in the gold-mining towns of Mongwalu and Rwampara.
Africa CDC said preliminary laboratory tests conducted at the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale in Kinshasa confirmed the Ebola virus in 13 out of 20 samples tested, while further analysis is underway to identify the strain. Of the reported fatalities, four were among confirmed cases.
Additional suspected infections have also been reported in Bunia, the provincial capital. Health authorities warned that population movement, mining activity and urban settings in the affected areas could lead to wider transmission of the disease.
Meanwhile, Uganda on Friday confirmed an imported Ebola case linked to DR Congo. According to Uganda’s health ministry, a 59-year-old Congolese man admitted to a hospital in Kampala earlier this week died in intensive care on Thursday after testing positive for the virus. Officials said no local transmission has been detected so far.
Africa CDC executive director Dr Jean Kaseya said significant cross-border movement between affected regions and neighbouring countries made regional coordination essential. The agency has called for joint action involving DR Congo, Uganda, South Sudan and other partners to strengthen surveillance and containment measures.
The Congolese government has not yet formally declared the outbreak but is expected to hold a media briefing shortly. Authorities have also initiated consultations with neighbouring countries and international agencies regarding containment strategies.
Ebola was first identified in 1976 in what is now DR Congo. The virus is believed to have originated in bats and spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected individuals. It causes severe bleeding, organ failure and has an average fatality rate of around 50 per cent, 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. While there is no proven cure, supportive treatment can improve survival chances.
Ituri province has remained volatile in recent years, with military rule imposed in 2021 amid prolonged violence involving armed groups, including the Islamic State-linked Allied Democratic Forces.
DR Congo has witnessed 17 Ebola outbreaks since the virus was first discovered. The country’s deadliest outbreak between 2018 and 2020 claimed nearly 2,300 lives, while another outbreak in Kasai province last year killed 45 people. Overall, Ebola has caused around 15,000 deaths across Africa over the past five decades.