A new outbreak of the infectious Ebola virus has killed dozens of people in a remote part of Congo, according to the Africa CDC health authority. Neighboring Uganda later said one person had died in an "imported" case.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement on Friday that 65 deaths and 246 suspected cases had been recorded so far in the remote Ituri province.
The health body said it was convening an urgent meeting with Congo, Uganda, South Sudan and global partners to reinforce cross-border surveillance, preparedness and response efforts.
It said the cases had mainly been reported in the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones, with four deaths among laboratory-confirmed cases.
"Africa CDC is concerned about the risk of further spread due to the urban context of Bunia and Rwampara, intense population movement, mining-related mobility in Mongwalu," the agency added.
All contacts linked to the man had been quarantined, including one high-risk contact who is a close relative of the deceased, the agency said. The man in question was a Congolese national, his remains had been repatriated, the ministry said.
Kampala described this case, therefore, as "imported" from Congo, and said that Uganda itself "has not yet confirmed a local case." The DRC cases were in the east of the country in the vicinity of Lake Albert and the border to Uganda.
The acting director fo the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Jay Bhattacharya, said it was working closely with the DRC Ministry of Health and with authorities in Uganda.
How does Ebola spread?
The Ebola virus is highly infectious and the disease it causes is often fatal for humans.
It is transmitted through direct contact with blood and other bodily fluids and causes symptoms such as fever, vomiting, body aches and diarrhoea .
The virus is endemic to Congo's tropical forests, where it was first detected in 1976.
This is the African country's 17th outbreak since then. The last outbreak, which caused 43 deaths, was declared over around five months ago.
Congo is the continent's second-largest country by land area, and limited road networks in some areas make it immensely challenging for local health authorities to respond to outbreaks.
At the same time, the country is battling various armed groups in the east, including the M23 rebel group, which has occupied key cities, and the Islamic State-linked Allied Democratic Force militant group.
Congo's deadliest Ebola outbreak between 2018 and 2020 killed more than 2,000 people.
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