Ebola Outbreak Kills 87 in Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ituri Province, WHO Confirms

A new Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ituri province has killed 87 people and involved at least 336 suspected cases, with the World Health Organization first confirming the outbreak on Friday.

“At least 80 deaths have been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) new Ebola disease outbreak, authorities said, as health workers race to intensify screening and contact tracing to contain the disease”

Al Jazeera

In eastern Ituri, NBC News reported that officials said the death toll reached 80 as health workers intensified screening and contact tracing, after officials first announced the outbreak on Friday with 65 deaths and 246 suspected cases.

Al Jazeera

The suspected patient zero in the latest outbreak was a nurse who died at a hospital in Bunia, with Congolese Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba saying the case dates back three weeks to April 24.

Al Jazeera reported that Kamba said the Bundibugyo strain has “no vaccine, no specific treatment,” and that “This strain has a very high lethality rate, which can reach 50 percent.”

In Bunia, Associated Press journalists cited Jean Marc Asimwe describing “Every day, people are dying ... and this has been going on for about a week,” as locals reported constant burials.

NBC News also quoted Congolese Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba saying there have been eight laboratory-confirmed cases, including four deaths, and that test results confirmed the Bundibugyo virus.

Al-Jazeera Net

Across the border, Uganda confirmed an Ebola case that authorities said was “imported” from Congo, with the person dying at the Kibuli Muslim Hospital in Kampala on May 14.

Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya said the outbreak is “a very vulnerable and fragile region,” and NPR reported he warned that “Someone came from DRC, landed in Uganda, went to hospital,” before the man died and his body was transported back across the border for burial.

The WHO said it was rapidly scaling up support after confirmation of an Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak, with laboratory analysis by the National Institute of Biomedical Research confirming Ebola in 8 of 13 samples collected from suspected cases linked to severe illness and deaths in Mongbwalu and Rwampara health zones.

“What to know about the Ebola outbreak blamed for scores of deaths in Congo What to know about the Ebola outbreak blamed for scores of deaths in Congo Africa’s top public health body has confirmed a new Ebola outbreak in Congo’s Ituri province, the 17th since the disease first emerged in the country in 1976”

AP News

WHO said it was airlifting 5 metric tonnes of supplies, including infection prevention and control materials and laboratory sample transportation equipment, to Bunia to support frontline health workers and treatment facilities.

The WHO also said national authorities activated emergency coordination mechanisms and deployed additional multidisciplinary rapid response teams, while WHO prioritized strengthening disease surveillance, active case finding, contact tracing, and safe burials.

In parallel, Africa CDC said it was convening a high-level coordinating meeting with health officials from Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan, and that the meeting would focus on “immediate response priorities, cross-border coordination, surveillance, laboratory support, infection prevention and control, risk communication, safe and dignified burials, and resource mobilization.”