Africa CDC Confirms New Ebola Outbreak in Congo's Ituri Province

Kinshasa, Congo — Africa CDC, the continent's top public health body, confirmed a new Ebola outbreak Friday in remote Ituri province, with 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths recorded so far.

The deaths and suspected cases occurred mainly in the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement.

"Four deaths have been reported among laboratory-confirmed cases. Suspected cases have also been reported in Bunia, pending confirmation," the agency said.

Africa CDC said it was calling an urgent meeting with Congo, Uganda, South Sudan and others to reinforce cross-border surveillance, preparedness and response efforts, Reuters reports.

The Ebola virus spreads through bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen. The disease is rare but severe and often fatal.

This outbreak comes about five months after Congo's last one ended following 43 deaths.

It marks the country's 17th Ebola outbreak since the disease first appeared in Congo in 1976. An outbreak from 2018 to 2020 in eastern Congo killed more than 1,000 people.

Ituri sits in a remote part of Congo with poor road networks, more than 620 miles from the capital Kinshasa.

The outbreak adds concern for the Central African nation, which fights various armed groups in the east, including the M23 rebel group. That group launched a rapid assault in January last year and has occupied key cities since.

Ituri faces violence from the ISIS-linked Allied Democratic Forces militant group, which has killed dozens there and in other eastern areas.

Congo, Africa's second-largest country by land area, often struggles with logistics in responding to outbreaks. During last year's three-month outbreak, the World Health Organization faced big challenges delivering vaccines due to limited access and scarce funds.