At least 15 people, including four health workers, have died following a new outbreak of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Ministry of Health confirmed. The outbreak, which is the 16th recorded in the country, was first detected in a 34-year-old pregnant woman admitted to hospital last month with high fever and severe vomiting. Laboratory tests later identified the deadly Zaire strain of Ebola.
The outbreak is centered in Kasai Province, where health authorities have documented 28 suspected cases so far. Officials are urging strict preventive measures such as regular handwashing, safe burials, and limiting close contact in high-risk areas to curb transmission. The World Health Organization (WHO) has deployed emergency response teams, warning that case numbers could rise as transmission continues.
“Response teams and local health workers are actively tracing contacts, isolating suspected cases, and providing urgent care,” WHO said in a statement. Despite these efforts, the challenges of limited health infrastructure and ongoing conflict in eastern DRC complicate containment measures.
Ebola, which first emerged in 1976 near the Ebola River in DRC, is transmitted through direct contact with blood, vomit, feces, or other bodily fluids of infected individuals. Though rare, it is often fatal, with mortality rates in some outbreaks reaching up to 90%.
The DRC’s last Ebola outbreak occurred three years ago, killing six people, while a devastating 2019 epidemic claimed over 2,000 lives. With the current resurgence in Kasai Province, global health officials stress the urgency of swift action to prevent the virus from spreading further.
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