Ebola outbreak spreads in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with 116 suspected cases resulting in deaths

The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo said that the new Ebola outbreak in the eastern province of Ituri, Congo (DRC), is still spreading. So far, 116 suspected cases have died and 435 suspected cases are currently under observation and treatment. Laboratory tests and epidemiological investigations are still ongoing.

Xinhua News Agency reported that Congo (DRC) Minister of Information and Media and government spokesperson Muyaya said at a press conference on Monday (May 18th) that cases have been reported in several areas of Ituri Province and the adjacent North Kivu Province. The Congolese health department stated that relevant tests and analyses are still underway to confirm whether all the reported suspected deaths are related to the Ebola virus.

The Ministry of Health said on the 15th that as of that day, there were a total of 80 deaths across the country. Among them, four deaths were confirmed to be caused by Ebola virus infection through testing.

The African Center for Disease Control announced on the 15th that an Ebola outbreak has occurred in Ituri Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. On the same day, the Ugandan Ministry of Health said that an imported case of the disease had died in the country. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on the 17th that the Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda have constituted a "public health emergency of international concern". Surrounding countries such as Rwanda, Zambia, and Tanzania have successively announced the strengthening of border health monitoring, entry screening, and preparedness for epidemic prevention.

The Ebola virus can cause Ebola hemorrhagic fever. It is mainly transmitted through contact with the blood, body fluids, secretions, excretions, etc. of patients or infected animals. The clinical manifestations include fever, bleeding, and damage to multiple organs. The mortality rate is as high as 50% to 90%.