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The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has confirmed 65 deaths linked to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Ituri province, DR Congo, warning that insecurity and population movement could spread the disease beyond affected areas.
In a statement on May 15, the agency said it was working with national authorities and partners to coordinate a rapid response.
Preliminary tests showed 13 of 20 samples were positive for Ebola, with early findings pointing to a possible non-Zaire strain, pending full sequencing.
“As of the latest update, about 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths have been reported, mainly in Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones. Four deaths have been reported among laboratory-confirmed cases,” Africa CDC said. Suspected cases have also been recorded in Bunia.
The agency highlighted risks including urban spread in Bunia and Rwampara, mining-related mobility in Mongwalu, weak contact tracing, and proximity to Uganda and South Sudan, which could complicate containment.
To prevent escalation, Africa CDC convened an emergency coordination meeting with DR Congo, Uganda, South Sudan, and partners including WHO, UNICEF, US CDC, European CDC, China CDC, Gavi, Médecins Sans Frontières, the World Bank, Afreximbank, and pharmaceutical firms.
The meeting focused on cross-border coordination, surveillance, laboratory support, infection prevention, safe burials, and resource mobilisation.
Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya stressed that “Rapid regional coordination has become urgently necessary because of the high population movement between affected areas and neighbouring countries.”
Africa CDC said it is preparing additional support in digital surveillance, laboratory coordination, infection prevention, and community engagement, while assessing medical countermeasures once the strain is confirmed.
The outbreak recalls the 2014–2016 West Africa Ebola epidemic, which killed over 11,000 people, and more recent outbreaks in DR Congo and Uganda, underscoring the virus’s high fatality risk and the importance of swift containment
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