By Ebi Kesiena
African health authorities have confirmed a fresh outbreak of the Ebola virus in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with at least 65 deaths already recorded amid growing fears of a wider regional spread.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) disclosed on Friday that 246 suspected cases had so far been identified in Ituri Province, the epicentre of the outbreak.
According to the agency, four of the deaths were among laboratory-confirmed Ebola cases, while investigations and emergency response efforts are ongoing to contain the deadly virus.
In a statement posted on social media, Africa CDC said it was closely monitoring the evolving situation and had convened an urgent high-level coordination meeting involving the DRC, Uganda, South Sudan, and international health partners.
The meeting, it noted, is aimed at strengthening cross-border surveillance, preparedness, and rapid outbreak response measures to prevent the virus from spreading beyond affected areas.
Ebola, first identified in 1976, is believed to have originated from bats before spreading to humans. The virus is transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected persons and causes severe bleeding, organ failure, and, in many cases, death.
Over the past five decades, Ebola outbreaks across Africa have claimed about 15,000 lives, making it one of the continent’s deadliest viral diseases.
The DRC has experienced several Ebola outbreaks over the years, including the country’s worst epidemic between 2018 and 2020, which killed nearly 2,300 people despite large-scale international intervention efforts.
