KINSHASA — Africa’s top public health body has declared a new Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s eastern Ituri province. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) confirmed the outbreak on Friday, reporting approximately 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths in the region.
The outbreak is currently concentrated in the gold-mining towns of Mongwalu and Rwampara, with additional suspected cases reported in Ituri’s provincial capital, Bunia, where laboratory confirmation is pending.
Preliminary Findings and Government Response
Preliminary testing conducted at the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB) in Kinshasa detected the Ebola virus in 13 out of 20 analyzed samples. These tests were conducted in consultation with the DR Congo’s Ministry of Health and National Public Institute.
According to the Africa CDC, four of the 65 reported fatalities occurred among laboratory-confirmed cases.
While the Africa CDC has moved forward with the declaration, the Congolese government has not yet officially declared an outbreak. A government press conference is expected later on Friday to address the situation.
Regional Coordination
In response to the escalating crisis, the Africa CDC announced it is convening an urgent meeting with DR Congo and neighboring nations to coordinate containment efforts. Key topics on the agenda include:
- Cross-border disease surveillance.
- Coordinated response strategies with Uganda and South Sudan.
- Mobilization of international health partners.
A Complex Humanitarian Landscape
Public health officials face significant challenges in containing the virus due to the volatile security situation in the region.
Ituri province has been under military rule since 2021, a measure implemented to neutralize dozens of armed rebel factions—including the Islamic State-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces (ADF)—that have operated in the area for decades. The presence of these armed groups and the displacement of civilians severely complicate contact tracing, vaccination efforts, and the delivery of medical supplies.
The Heavy Toll of Ebola in the DRC
This marks the 17th outbreak of the deadly viral disease in the DR Congo since it was first discovered near the Ebola River in 1976. Believed to originate in bats, the virus spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids, causing severe bleeding, organ failure, and death. There is currently no known cure, though early supportive care and vaccines have improved survival rates in recent years.
Early symptoms of the virus include fever, severe muscle pain, fatigue, headache, and sore throat.
Over the past 50 years, Ebola has claimed around 50,000 lives across various African nations. The DR Congo has borne a significant portion of this burden:
- 2018–2020: The country’s deadliest outbreak killed nearly 2,300 people in the eastern provinces.
- 2023: A smaller outbreak in the central Kasai province resulted in 45 deaths.
Health authorities are now racing against the clock to prevent the current Ituri outbreak from reaching the devastating scale of previous years.
