Africa’s top public health body has confirmed a new Ebola outbreak in Congo, with 65 deaths and 246 suspected cases recorded in a remote eastern province near the borders with Uganda and South Sudan. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said cases have been concentrated in the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones of Ituri province, more than 620 miles from the Congolese capital. Preliminary laboratory results detected the Ebola virus in 13 of 20 samples tested, with sequencing ongoing to confirm the strain. Early results suggest it is not the Ebola Zaire strain—the variant responsible for Congo’s past outbreaks and the one targeted by the existing Ervebo vaccine, of which Congo holds around 2,000 doses. “Four deaths have been reported among laboratory-confirmed cases,” the agency said. “Suspected cases have also been reported in Bunia, pending confirmation.” Officials flagged several factors raising the risk of further spread, including heavy population movement, mining activity in Mongwalu, ongoing insecurity in affected areas, and gaps in contact tracing. The agency convened an urgent coordination meeting with health authorities from Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan, alongside U.N. agencies and other partners. The outbreak comes around five months after Congo’s previous Ebola outbreak was declared over, following 43 deaths.
Read it at AP News
