A deadly outbreak of the Ebola virus has been confirmed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, African health authorities said on Friday.
Some 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths have been reported, while “four deaths have been reported among laboratory-confirmed cases,” the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement shared on social media.
“Ebola Virus Disease outbreak confirmed in Ituri Province,” the pan-African health agency stated.
The agency added that it was closely monitoring the situation and working with regional and global health authorities to contain the outbreak.
“Africa CDC is closely monitoring the situation and convening an urgent high-level coordination meeting today with the DRC, Uganda, South Sudan and global partners to reinforce cross-border surveillance, preparedness and outbreak response efforts,” the statement added.
Outbreak concerns
First identified in 1976 and believed to have crossed over from bats, Ebola is a deadly viral disease spread through direct contact with bodily fluids, often causing severe bleeding, organ failure and death.
The highly contagious haemorrhagic fever has killed about 15,000 people across Africa over the past 50 years.
The deadliest Ebola outbreak recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo occurred between 2018 and 2020, claiming nearly 2,300 lives.
Health authorities say surveillance and emergency response measures are being strengthened to prevent further spread of the disease across neighbouring countries, including Uganda and South Sudan.
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