15 dead as Congo confirms new Ebola outbreak

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At least 15 people have died following a new outbreak of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The country’s health ministry reported on Thursday that the outbreak was detected in the central Kasai province, with 28 suspected cases identified so far.

Tests confirmed the presence of the Zaire strain of Ebola after a 34-year-old pregnant woman was admitted to hospital on August 20 with high fever and repeated vomiting. She reportedly died just hours later from multiple organ failure. Among the fatalities are four health workers.

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the number of cases is likely to rise as transmission continues. The agency is sending two tons of supplies, including mobile laboratory equipment and medical materials, to support the response effort.

“Response teams and local teams will work to find the people who may be infected and need to receive care, to ensure everyone is protected as quickly as possible,” WHO said in a statement.

The WHO added that Congo has a “stockpile of treatments,” including 2,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine, “effective to protect against this type of Ebola.”

Ebola, a deadly virus believed to have originated in fruit bats, was first discovered in 1976 near the Ebola River in DRC. It spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals.

The last outbreak in Congo, recorded three years ago, killed six people, while a larger epidemic between 2018 and 2020 claimed over 2,000 lives.

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