Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have confirmed a new Ebola outbreak in Kasai Province, where 15 people have died since late August.
Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba announced the development on Thursday in Kinshasa, noting that the outbreak is the country’s 16th since the virus was first identified in 1976.
Provisional figures show 28 suspected cases, with the first traced to a 34-year-old pregnant woman admitted to hospital on August 20. The last outbreak in the DRC occurred three years ago, killing six people.
Ebola, a highly contagious viral disease spread through direct contact with bodily fluids, can cause severe bleeding, organ failure, and death. The deadliest outbreak in the DRC between 2018 and 2020 killed nearly 2,300 people.
Authorities confirmed that the Zaire strain, for which a vaccine exists, is responsible for the new outbreak.
“Fortunately, we have a vaccine for this Zaire strain, but to deploy it, we need to ensure the logistics,” Kamba said.
Despite a population of more than 100 million, the DRC faces significant challenges in epidemic response due to poor infrastructure and limited communication networks.
AFP
