DR Congo Records 246 Suspected Ebola Cases, 65 Deaths in Ituri — Ebola Virus

Health officials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo recorded 246 suspected ebola virus cases and 65 deaths in Ituri province on Friday, raising alarm over a new outbreak in the country’s northeast. The figures come from a remote border area where weak road links and cross-border movement can complicate surveillance.

Uganda reported one Ebola death after a Congolese man died in Kampala after traveling from the DRC. Uganda’s Ministry of Health said the man was tested for Ebola after Kinshasa announced the outbreak, while Uganda had not yet confirmed a locally transmitted case of the virus.

Ituri Province Figures

Africa CDC said it recorded the 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths in Ituri province, and that preliminary laboratory results from the DRC detected the Ebola virus in 13 of 20 samples tested. Africa CDC also said four deaths had been reported among laboratory-confirmed cases, and suspected cases had also been reported in Bunia pending confirmation.

The scale of the report is drawing attention because Ituri is more than 1,000km from Kinshasa, and because the region sits on the border with Uganda and South Sudan. People moving through that corridor are now part of the practical challenge for health teams trying to track exposure and isolate likely chains of transmission.

Uganda And Cross-Border Tracking

Jay Bhattacharya, acting Director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said on a media call on Friday: “CDC has extensive experience and expertise in responding to Ebola outbreaks, and we are working closely with the DRC Ministry of Health through our country office to support our response efforts.” He added: “This morning, we also heard from the Government of Uganda confirming an Ebola outbreak there, and we are also ⁠coordinating with our country office in Uganda and our colleagues there to track and ⁠help with the outbreak there.”

Africa CDC said it was convening an urgent high-level meeting with health authorities from the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan, together with key partners, to reinforce cross-border surveillance, preparedness and response efforts. That meeting places the response on a regional footing rather than leaving each country to work alone.

DRC Outbreak Pressure

The DRC has seen more than a dozen Ebola outbreaks, including the deadliest one between 2018 and 2020, which killed nearly 2,300 people. About five months before Friday’s report, the DRC’s last Ebola bout was declared over after leaving 43 people dead.

Last week, an attack by armed rebels in Ituri province killed at least 69 people, adding another layer of instability to a region already struggling with control efforts. For residents and health workers in Bunia and other parts of Ituri, that overlap of violence and disease response is now the immediate complication.

The next concrete step is the regional health meeting called by Africa CDC, with DRC, Uganda and South Sudan officials expected to focus on surveillance and response across the border area.