Public health officials have confirmed a new Ebola outbreak in northeastern Congo, with at least 65 deaths out of 246 suspected cases.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says the outbreak is centered in Ituri province, with cases in Mongwalu and Rwampara. The deaths are suspected to be Ebola-related; four have been confirmed in the lab.
Virologist Jean-Jacques Muyembe, who co-discovered the virus, says this may be a non-Zaire strain. That would complicate response efforts, as existing vaccines and treatments were developed specifically for the Zaire strain.
The World Health Organization learned of the suspected cases on May 5 and dispatched a team. Samples eventually tested positive on Thursday, with 13 confirmed cases. The WHO has released $500,000 from its emergency fund.
Officials are concerned about the urban environment of Bunia, the provincial capital, as well as heavy population movement linked to mining and proximity to Uganda and South Sudan.
Uganda reported one imported case-a Congolese man who died in Kampala from Ebola Bundibugyo-but says no local transmission has occurred.
The outbreak comes amid militia clashes in Ituri that have left health facilities overwhelmed or destroyed. This is Congo's 17th Ebola outbreak since the disease was first identified there in 1976.