KINSHASA, Congo (AP) 鈥� Africa鈥檚 top public health body on Friday confirmed a in Congo鈥檚 remote Ituri province, with 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths recorded so far.
Neighboring Uganda later confirmed one death in an Ebola case it said was imported from Congo.
The deaths and suspected cases have been recorded mainly in the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones, the Africa Centres for Disease Control 鈥媋nd Prevention said in a statement. The agency said 65 deaths have been attributed to the outbreak and that four of those have so far been confirmed in a laboratory.
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.
Scientists were trying to determine exactly what virus was driving the current outbreak in Congo. The Ebola virus 鈥� also known as the Ebola Zaire strain 鈥� has been prominent in Congo鈥檚 past outbreaks. Results so far suggest some variant other than the Ebola Zaire strain, with sequencing continuing to give more clarity, the Africa CDC said.
The World Health Organization says the Ebola disease is caused by a group of viruses, and that three of them are known to cause large outbreaks: Ebola virus, Sudan virus and Bundibugyo virus.
Uganda on Friday reported one Ebola case involving a Congolese man admitted to a hospital in Kampala three days before he died. Officials said the case was 鈥渋mported鈥� from Congo, and that Uganda has not yet confirmed any local cases.
Uganda鈥檚 Health Ministry said the patient was tested posthumously on Friday after neighboring Congo confirmed its Ebola outbreak. All contacts linked to the man have been quarantined, the agency said. The deceased鈥檚 body has been taken back to Congo.
The ministry said the person was infected with the Bundibugyo virus, a variant of the illness that has been endemic in Uganda.
The WHO said last year that Congo has a stockpile of treatments and some 2,000 doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine. The Ervedo vaccine is effective against the Ebola Zaire strain 鈥� considered the most severe one 鈥� but not against the Sudan virus or Bundibugyo virus, according to health authorities.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, World Health Organization director-general, told reporters Friday that the WHO last week sent a team to help Congo investigate the outbreak and collect samples. While initial results did not confirm Ebola, a new analysis on Thursday did, he said.
Congo has 鈥渁 strong track record in Ebola response and control,鈥� Tedros said, adding that the WHO is releasing $500,000 to aid Congo鈥檚 response.
Affected areas are close to Uganda, South Sudan borders
The latest outbreak comes around five months after Congo鈥檚 last Ebola outbreak after 43 deaths.
Ituri is in a remote eastern part of Congo characterized by poor road networks, more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the nation鈥檚 capital of Kinshasa.
Africa CDC said it is concerned about the risk of further spread due to intense population movement, mining-related mobility in Mongwalu, insecurity in affected areas, gaps in contact listing and control challenges.
The proximity of affected areas to Uganda and South Sudan also raises concerns, it said.
The agency said it was convening an urgent coordination meeting Friday with health authorities from Congo, Uganda and South Sudan, together with key partners including U.N. agencies and other countries.
The acting head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Jay Bhattacharya, said Friday that U.S. health officials are in contact with officials in Congo and Uganda and are 鈥済oing to provide whatever they need and that we are capable of providing them.鈥�
Congo has seen more than a dozen Ebola outbreaks
This is the 17th outbreak in Congo since the disease first emerged in the country in 1976. An Ebola outbreak from 2018 to 2020 killed more than 1,000 people. The WHO said that outbreak was characterized by the main Ebola Zaire strain.
An earlier outbreak that swept across West Africa from 2014 to 2016 also killed more than 11,000 people.
The new outbreak creates more worry for the Central African country, which has been battling various armed groups in the east. The second-largest African country in land mass, Congo also faces logistical challenges. During last year’s outbreak, which lasted three months, the WHO initially in delivering vaccines due to limited access.
Dr. Gabriel Nsakala, a professor of public health who has been involved in past Ebola outbreak responses in Congo, said the country and health workers on the ground have a high level of experience, in addition to existing infrastructure such as laboratories.
鈥淚n terms of training, people already know what they can do. Now, the expertise and equipment need to be delivered quickly,鈥� Nsakala added.
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Associated Press writers Chinedu Asadu in Abuja, Nigeria; Saleh Mwanamilongo in Bonn, Germany; Mark Banchereau in Dakar, Senegal; Mike Stobbe in New York City and Evelyne Musambi in Nairobi, Kenya contributed.
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