Africa’s top health agency has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s eastern Ituri province.
Around 246 cases and 65 deaths have been reported, mainly in the gold-mining towns of Mongwalu and Rwampara, said the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
Its statement on Friday added that it was convening a meeting with DR Congo, neighbouring Uganda and South Sudan, and other international partners to discuss priorities, including response efforts and cross-border surveillance.
Ebola was first discovered in 1976 in what is now DR Congo, and is thought to have spread from bats. This is the 17th outbreak of the deadly viral disease in the country.
It is spread through direct contact with bodily fluids and through broken skin, causing severe bleeding and organ failure.
Early symptoms include fever, muscle pain, fatigue, headache and sore throat, and are followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, a rash and bleeding.
There is no proven cure for Ebola. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the average fatality rate is around 50%.
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Preliminary tests conducted at the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB) in the capital, Kinshasa, have detected the virus in 13 of 20 samples analysed, following consultations with DR Congo’s Ministry of Health and National Public Institute.
Tests are also being carried out to identify the strain of the virus.
Of the 65 deaths, four were reported among lab-confirmed cases, Africa CDC said.
Additional suspected cases have also been reported in Ituri’s provincial capital, Bunia, with laboratory confirmation pending.
Africa CDC said it was concerned by the high risk of further spread due to the urban settings of Rwampara and Bunia, and mining activities in Mongwalu.
The health agency’s executive director Dr Jean Kaseya added that “significant population movement” between the affected areas and neighbouring countries also meant regional co-ordination was essential.
All affected communities and at-risk areas have been advised to follow guidelines from the national health authorities.
The Congolese government has not yet officially declared an outbreak. A staffer told the BBC a press conference was expected later on Friday.
Ituri has been under military rule since 2021, with the civilian authority replaced by a military general in an attempt to neutralise dozens of armed groups which have operated in the area for many years. These include the Allied Democratic Forced (ADF), affiliated to the Islamic State group.
Around 15,000 people have died from the virus in different African countries over the past 50 years.
DR Congo’s deadliest outbreak was between 2018 and 2020, during which nearly 2,300 people died.
Last year, 45 people died after an outbreak in the central Kasai province.