The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has confirmed an Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with 65 deaths recorded so far from suspected and confirmed cases.
Health authorities said on Friday that about 246 suspected cases have been reported, with fatalities concentrated mainly in Mongwalu and Rwampara areas.
Officials also confirmed that four deaths occurred among laboratory-confirmed Ebola cases.
According to Africa CDC, hundreds of suspected infections have also been identified across parts of Ituri Province and the city of Bunia.
Preliminary laboratory tests conducted by the National Institute of Biomedical Research reportedly detected the virus in 13 out of 20 samples, following consultations with the DRC Ministry of Health and the National Public Health Institute.
The agency warned that the outbreak poses a high risk of further spread due to several factors, including urban population density, frequent movement of people, ongoing mining activities, insecurity, and proximity to neighbouring Uganda and South Sudan.
Africa CDC said it is convening an emergency meeting with health authorities from the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan, alongside international partners, to strengthen cross-border coordination, surveillance and response measures.
The Director-General of Africa CDC, Jean Kaseya, stressed that rapid regional cooperation is essential to contain the outbreak, citing high mobility across affected and neighbouring regions.
He noted that coordinated action would be critical to limiting transmission and preventing the disease from spreading further across borders.
