Deadly Ebola outbreak declared in DR Congo -

Deadly Ebola outbreak declared in DR Congo

A deadly outbreak of the Ebola virus has been declared in Ituri province in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a region hit by armed conflict, African health authorities said Friday.

Four deaths linked to the virus have been confirmed through laboratory testing, while 246 suspected cases — including 65 deaths — have been recorded, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Ebola Virus Disease outbreak confirmed in Ituri Province,” Africa CDC said in a statement.

First identified in 1976 and believed to have originated in bats, Ebola is a deadly viral disease spread through direct contact with bodily fluids and it can cause severe bleeding and organ failure.

The highly contagious haemorrhagic fever has killed an estimated 15,000 people in Africa over the past 50 years, despite advances in vaccines and treatment.

The deadliest Ebola outbreak in the DRC, between 2018 and 2020, killed nearly 2,300 people.

The Africa CDC said results from 13 of 20 samples tested in the DRC capital, Kinshasa, indicated that “four deaths have been reported among laboratory-confirmed cases”.

The initial results also “suggest a non-Zaire ebolavirus” strain, but further sequencing is ongoing and results are expected to be released within 24 hours.

The Zaire ebolavirus — the deadliest strain with a case fatality rate of 80 to 90 percent — is the only variant for which an approved vaccine currently exists.

The health agency said it was “closely monitoring the situation and convening an urgent high-level coordination meeting today with the DRC, Uganda, South Sudan and global partners to reinforce cross-border surveillance, preparedness and outbreak response efforts”.