Health authorities have confirmed a deadly outbreak of Ebola virus disease in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, raising fears of further regional spread amid ongoing insecurity in the area.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday that the outbreak was detected in Ituri Province, where four laboratory-confirmed deaths linked to the virus have already been recorded.
According to the agency, authorities have so far documented 246 suspected cases, including 65 deaths.
Africa CDC stated that preliminary laboratory analysis conducted in the capital city, Kinshasa, showed that 13 out of 20 tested samples were positive for Ebola.
Officials added that early findings suggest the outbreak may involve a non-Zaire strain of the virus, though additional genetic sequencing is ongoing to determine the exact variant.
The Zaire ebolavirus strain is considered the deadliest form of the disease, with fatality rates estimated between 80 and 90 percent. It is also currently the only strain with an approved vaccine.
Ebola, first identified in 1976, is a highly contagious viral disease believed to originate from bats and transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids. The disease can cause severe bleeding, organ failure, and death.
The latest outbreak has heightened concerns because of the volatile security situation in eastern DR Congo and the movement of people across borders with neighboring Uganda and South Sudan.
Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said rapid regional coordination was critical to contain the spread of the virus.
The agency disclosed that urgent meetings involving DR Congo, Uganda, South Sudan, and international partners were being convened to strengthen cross-border surveillance and emergency response measures.
Initial cases were reported in the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones, each with populations of about 150,000 residents. Additional suspected infections have also been identified in Bunia, the provincial capital of Ituri.
This marks the 17th Ebola outbreak recorded in DR Congo since the virus was first discovered in the country.
The country previously battled one of the world’s deadliest Ebola outbreaks between 2018 and 2020, when nearly 2,300 people lost their lives.
A separate outbreak in central DR Congo last year killed at least 34 people before authorities officially declared it contained in December.
Eastern DR Congo has faced decades of armed conflict involving militias and armed groups, particularly in the mineral-rich Ituri region bordering Uganda, complicating humanitarian and public health interventions.
