At least 80 deaths have been reported in DR Congo's new Ebola disease outbreak in the eastern Ituri province, authorities said, as health workers raced on Saturday to intensify screening and contact tracing to contain the disease. Officials first announced the outbreak on Friday, with 65 deaths and 246 suspected cases.
Meanwhile, Associated Press journalists in Ituri’s capital, Bunia, interviewed locals who recounted their fears and constant burials.
“In a single day, we bury two, three, or even more people,” said Jean Marc Asimwe, a resident of Bunia. “At this point, we don’t really know what kind of disease it is,” said Asimwe.
Congolese Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba said late on Friday that there have been eight laboratory-confirmed cases, among them four deaths.
Highly contagious
Test results confirmed the Bundibugyo virus, a variant of the disease that has been less prominent in DR Congo’s past outbreaks. This is Congo’s 17th outbreak since Ebola first emerged in the country in 1976.
Ebola is highly contagious and can be contracted through bodily fluids such as vomit, blood, or semen. The disease it causes is rare, but severe and often fatal.
Uganda also has confirmed an Ebola case. The person died at a hospital in Uganda’s capital, Kampala.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention had said it is concerned about the risk of further spread due to the proximity of affected areas to Uganda and South Sudan.
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