Africa’s top public health agency has confirmed an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ituri province.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday that it is convening an urgent meeting with Congo, Uganda, South Sudan, and global partners to boost cross-border surveillance and response.
According to the agency, about 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths have been reported, mainly in the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones. Four deaths have been confirmed among laboratory-tested cases.
Initial findings point to a non-Zaire strain of the virus, with genetic sequencing still underway to confirm the type.
Africa CDC said it is concerned about further spread because of the urban setting of Bunia and Rwampara, high population movement, and mining-related travel in Mongwalu.
Ebola is a severe and often fatal disease that spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids, contaminated materials, or the bodies of people who have died from the virus.
