New Ebola outbreak confirmed in remote Congo province, 65 dead

After the recent outbreaks of the hantavirus and the norovirus, yet another virus has been reported and this time, from Africa. The continent's Centre for Disease Control (CDC) has confirmed a new Ebola outbreak in Congo's remote Ituri province. So far, 65 deaths and 246 suspected cases have been reported due to the outbreak.

The Ebola virus is highly contagious and can be contracted through bodily fluids such as vomit, blood, or semen. The disease it causes is rare, but severe and often fatal. The latest outbreak comes around five months after Congo's last Ebola outbreak was declared over after 43 deaths. Ituri is in a remote eastern part of Congo, characterised by poor road networks, and is more than 1,000 kilometres from the nation's capital of Kinshasa.

CDC concerned about spread
Africa CDC said it is concerned about the risk of further spread due to intense population movement, mining-related mobility, insecurity in affected areas, gaps in contact tracing and control, and challenges in implementing control measures. The proximity of affected areas to Uganda and South Sudan also raises concerns, it said. The agency said it is convening an urgent high-level coordination meeting on Friday with health authorities from Congo, Uganda and South Sudan, as well as key partners, including UN agencies and other countries.

The 17th outbreak
Congo has seen more than a dozen Ebola outbreaks so far. This is the 17th outbreak in Congo since the disease first emerged in the country in 1976. An Ebola outbreak from 2018 to 2020 in eastern Congo killed more than 1,000 people. An earlier outbreak that swept across West Africa from 2014 to 2016 also killed more than 11,000 people. During last year's outbreak, which lasted three months, the World Health Organisation initially faced significant challenges in delivering vaccines due to limited access and scarce funds.
(With PTI inputs)