Health authorities in Africa have raised fresh concerns following the confirmation of a deadly Ebola outbreak in the Ituri Province of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) confirmed on Friday that 246 suspected cases have so far been recorded, with 65 deaths reported, including four fatalities among laboratory-confirmed cases.
According to the agency, emergency measures are already underway to prevent further spread of the disease, particularly across borders. Africa CDC disclosed that it had convened a high-level emergency meeting involving officials from the DRC, Uganda, South Sudan, and international partners to strengthen surveillance, preparedness, and coordinated response efforts.
Ebola is a severe and often fatal viral disease first identified in 1976 and believed to have originated from bats. The virus spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected persons and is known to cause severe internal bleeding, organ failure, and other life-threatening complications.
Over the last five decades, Ebola outbreaks have claimed an estimated 15,000 lives across Africa, making it one of the continent’s deadliest infectious diseases.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo remains one of the countries most affected by the virus. Its worst Ebola outbreak, recorded between 2018 and 2020, led to nearly 2,300 deaths.
Health officials say the latest outbreak has heightened concerns due to the region’s proximity to neighboring countries, prompting urgent containment and monitoring efforts to prevent a wider public health crisis.