Ebola Strikes Again in Congo: 15 Dead as Fresh Outbreak Confirmed

By Taiwo Akintunde

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has confirmed a new outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus, with at least 15 people reported dead and dozens more feared infected.

According to the country’s Ministry of Health, the outbreak was detected in Kasai Province, where 28 suspected cases have been recorded. Laboratory tests confirmed the Zaire strain of the virus after a 34-year-old pregnant woman was admitted to hospital on August 20 with a high fever and severe vomiting. She later died of multiple organ failure.

Among the fatalities are four health workers, raising fresh concerns about the risk faced by frontline responders.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the number of infections is likely to rise as human-to-human transmission continues. The health body announced it is deploying emergency supplies, including two tons of medical materials and mobile laboratory equipment, to strengthen response efforts.

“Response teams and local health workers will trace, treat, and protect those exposed to the virus to curb further spread,” WHO said in a statement.

The organization added that DRC has access to a “stockpile of treatments” and at least 2,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine, which has proven effective against this strain of Ebola.

Ebola, a highly contagious disease believed to originate from fruit bats, was first discovered in 1976 near the Ebola River in Congo. It spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals.

The latest outbreak comes three years after Congo’s last flare-up, which killed six people. A much larger epidemic between 2018 and 2020 claimed more than 2,000 lives.