Ebola outbreak kills 65 people in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

An outbreak of Ebola has killed 65 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo , health officials said. There have been 246 suspected cases of the haemorrhagic fever reported so far in the conflict-hit Ituri province, which shares borders with Uganda and South Sudan. Uganda’s health ministry said it had also confirmed an outbreak and that a 59-year-old man had died in a Kampala hospital from the disease after travelling from the DRC.

Officials at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said they were concerned about the risk of further spread. Ituri province is home to mining towns where people are constantly coming and going, making infectious disease control challenging. Ebola is a severe illness with a high fatality rate. It is spread through direct contact with body fluids such as the blood or vomit of infected people, or dead bodies, such as during funeral preparations. Africa CDC said the DRC’s national research laboratory had detected the Ebola virus in 13 of 20 samples tested. The DRC has had 16 outbreaks of Ebola since the virus was identified there in 1976. Typically it has been the Zaire strain of Ebola, for which vaccines are available. However, DRC health officials said the samples tested were of the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no licensed vaccine. There have been two previous outbreaks of Bundibugyo virus, in 2007 and 2012. Africa CDC said it was convening an urgent meeting on Friday with authorities from the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan as well as the World Health Organization and pharmaceutical companies. “Africa CDC stands in solidarity with the government and people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo as they respond to this outbreak,” said Dr Jean Kaseya, the director general of Africa CDC. “Given the high population movement between affected areas and neighbouring countries, rapid regional coordination is essential.” Cases have been reported mainly in the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones, with suspected cases also reported in neighbouring Bunia.

Key points

• Officials at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said they were concerned about the risk of further spread.
• Ituri province is home to mining towns where people are constantly coming and going, making infectious disease control challenging.
• Ebola is a severe illness with a high fatality rate.
• It is spread through direct contact with body fluids such as the blood or vomit of infected people, or dead bodies, such as during funeral preparations.
• Africa CDC said the DRC’s national research laboratory had detected the Ebola virus in 13 of 20 samples tested.