DRC health minister warns very high' Ebola lethality rate as toll hits 80

"At least 80 deaths have been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's (DRC) new Ebola disease outbreak, authorities said, as health workers race to intensify screening and contact tracing to contain the disease. Nearly 250 suspected cases of the highly contagious haemorrhagic fever have been recorded in eastern DRC, according to the health ministry, with one death also reported in neighbouring Uganda. This has raised concerns that the disease could spread to neighbouring countries."

"The Bundibugyo strain has no vaccine, no specific treatment, DRC's Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba said on Saturday. This strain has a very high lethality rate, which can reach 50 percent. The outbreak, the country's seventeenth, was confirmed on Friday in the northeastern province of Ituri, which borders Uganda and South Sudan. At the time, 65 suspected deaths had been confirmed; the toll was raised to 80 on Saturday."

"According to Kamba, the suspected patient zero was a nurse who reported to a health facility in the provincial capital, Bunia, on April 24, with symptoms suggesting Ebola. The disease has so far been confirmed in three health zones in Ituri, including Bunia, and the areas of Rwampara and Mongwalu, where the outbreak is concentrated. Only 13 blood samples have been tested at the National Institute of Biomedical Research; eight tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain. The remaining five could not be analysed due to insufficient sample volume, the health minister said."

"The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has raised concerns that the outbreak could spread rapidly, citing several factors, including the high population density of towns in Ituri and the close proximity of the affected areas to Uganda and South Sudan. The agency also warned of the high volume of cross-border travel to and from the a"

At least 80 deaths have been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo from a new Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo strain. Nearly 250 suspected cases have been recorded in eastern DRC, and one death has been reported in neighbouring Uganda. The outbreak was confirmed in Ituri province, which borders Uganda and South Sudan, and is concentrated in health zones including Bunia, Rwampara, and Mongwalu. The suspected patient zero is a nurse who reported to a health facility in Bunia on April 24 with symptoms consistent with Ebola. Africa CDC raised concerns about rapid spread due to high population density and intense cross-border travel, while health workers intensify screening and contact tracing. Only 13 blood samples have been tested, with eight positive for Bundibugyo.

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