Addis Ababa – Africa’s top health agency has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s eastern Ituri province, with 246 cases and 65 deaths reported so far.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said the cases are concentrated mainly in the gold-mining towns of Mongwalu and Rwampara. In a statement on Friday, Africa CDC said it is convening a meeting with DR Congo, neighbouring Uganda and South Sudan, and other international partners to coordinate response efforts and strengthen cross-border surveillance.
Ebola was first identified in 1976 in what is now DR Congo and is believed to spread from bats. This is the country’s 17th outbreak of the viral disease.
The virus spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids and through broken skin, causing severe bleeding and organ failure. Health authorities are working to contain transmission and limit cross-border spread.
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