Africa CDC confirms new Ebola outbreak in remote Congo province
AP News • • general
Key Points:
- Africa CDC has confirmed a new Ebola outbreak in Congo's Ituri province, reporting 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths, primarily in the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones.
- Four deaths have been confirmed among laboratory-verified cases, with suspected cases also reported in Bunia, the provincial capital near the Uganda border.
- Preliminary tests detected the Ebola virus in 13 out of 20 samples, raising concerns about further spread due to population movement, mining activities, insecurity, and proximity to Uganda and South Sudan.
- Africa CDC is organizing an urgent coordination meeting with Congo, Uganda, South Sudan, UN agencies, and partners to address response priorities, cross-border coordination, surveillance, and resource mobilization.
- This marks Congo's 17th Ebola outbreak since 1976, occurring amid ongoing regional insecurity involving armed groups such as the M23 rebels and the Islamic State-linked Allied Democratic Force.