Kinshasa, Congo — Africa CDC confirmed a new Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s remote Ituri province on Friday, reporting 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths so far.
The suspected cases and fatalities have been concentrated in the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones, the agency said. Authorities have also reported suspected infections in Bunia, the provincial capital near the border with Uganda, awaiting laboratory confirmation.
Preliminary testing has detected Ebola virus in 13 of 20 samples analyzed. Africa CDC said four deaths have been reported among laboratory-confirmed cases. The agency noted that Ebola is highly contagious and spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids such as blood, vomit and semen.
Officials expressed concern that the outbreak could spread because of heavy population movement, mining-related mobility around Mongwalu, insecurity in affected areas, and gaps in contact-tracing and control measures. The proximity of affected zones to Uganda and South Sudan adds cross-border risks.
Africa CDC is convening an urgent high-level coordination meeting with health authorities from the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan, together with U.N. agencies and other partners. The meeting will prioritize immediate response activities including cross-border coordination, surveillance and laboratory support, infection prevention and control, risk communication, safe and dignified burials, and mobilizing resources.
Ituri is a remote, hard-to-reach part of eastern Congo more than 620 miles from the capital, Kinshasa, and the region’s poor road networks and ongoing insecurity complicate public-health responses. The eastern provinces have been affected by violence from armed groups, including the M23 rebel group and the Allied Democratic Force, an organization linked to ISIS that has carried out deadly attacks in the region.
This is the 17th Ebola outbreak in the DRC since the virus was first identified there in 1976. A major outbreak in eastern Congo from 2018 to 2020 killed more than 1,000 people. The West Africa epidemic of 2014–2016 resulted in more than 11,000 deaths.
Congo has frequently faced logistical hurdles in mounting outbreak responses; during last year’s flare-up, the World Health Organization reported challenges delivering vaccines because of limited access and funding shortages. Africa CDC and partners say they are mobilizing to strengthen surveillance, testing and control measures to limit further spread.