Ebola outbreak declared in eastern DR Congo as regional alert raised

A medical worker checks a person's temperature at the Matanda Hospital in Butembo, where the first Ebola patient died, in the North Kivu province of DR Congo, 11 February 2021. © AP - Al-hadji Kudra Maliro

Africa’s top public health body has declared a new Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s eastern Ituri province, raising concerns over cross-border spread in a region already affected by conflict and frequent population movements.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said in a statement on Friday that around 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths had been reported, mainly in the mining areas of Mongwalu and Rwampara, about 100 kilometres north of the provincial capital Bunia.