JUST IN: Fresh Ebola outbreak hits Africa

Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have confirmed a new outbreak of the Ebola virus that has killed 15 people since late August.

Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba announced on Thursday in Kinshasa that the outbreak is centered in Kasai Province, where 28 suspected cases have been recorded.

The first case was identified on August 20 in a 34-year-old pregnant woman who was admitted to hospital.

“This is the 16th Ebola outbreak recorded in our country,” Kamba said. The last outbreak, three years ago, killed six people.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that case numbers are likely to rise. A team of WHO experts has joined Congolese health workers in Kasai to contain the spread. The DRC currently has a stockpile of treatments and 2,000 doses of the Ebola vaccine, which are being moved from Kinshasa to the affected province.

“We’re acting with determination to rapidly halt the spread of the virus and protect communities,” said WHO Regional Director for Africa, Mohamed Janabi.

Ebola, first identified in 1976, is transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids and can cause severe bleeding, organ failure, and death. The deadliest outbreak in the DRC killed nearly 2,300 people between 2018 and 2020.

Authorities said the latest outbreak has been traced to the Zaire strain of the virus, for which a vaccine exists. “Fortunately we have a vaccine for this Zaire strain, but to deploy it we need to ensure the logistics,” Kamba explained.

Containing the outbreak remains a major challenge due to the DRC’s vast size, poor infrastructure, and limited communication networks. The country, home to more than 100 million people, is four times the size of France.