Fear as health officials raise alarm over new Ebola outbreak in DR Congo
People in the town of Rwampara in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are fearful as health officials raise the alarm over a new outbreak of Ebola.
It is one of two health zones in Ituri province that are at the epicentre of the latest eruption of the deadly virus with at least 80 reported dead and 246 suspected cases.
Motorbike taxi driver, John Kisembo, said that since the beginning of the month, many people have died and residents are very afraid.
“What is happening is that if someone has a headache, a fever or a stomach ache, they die after a while. Nearby there was a young man under 30, he arrived in the village yesterday and today we heard he is dead,” said Kisembo.
Rwampara resident, Salama Bamunoba, said it is the disease is very dangerous and is putting young people at risk.
“When someone dies, it’s the young people who dig the graves and carry the body with their bare hands, without gloves or masks, and this leads to the spread of this disease,” he said.
Bamunoba said it was very dangerous because if one member of a family falls ill, “they take the whole family with them”.
Ituri borders both South Sudan and Uganda and the continent’s top health body, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) warns of a high risk of a regional spread.
As concerns rise, Uganda’s health ministry said a Congolese man had died in Kampala of the Bundibugyo virus strain.
Kampala said the case was imported from the DRC and that no local cases had been confirmed.
The Africa CDC said there is “intense population movement” in the region due to mining activities in the affected areas.
It has called for an urgent meeting between the three countries and global partners to reinforce cross-border surveillance, preparedness, and response efforts.
This latest outbreak is taking place against the backdrop of a deepening security crisis in Ituri, where clashes between rival militia groups have killed dozens of civilians in recent weeks.
The World Health Organization said region “is highly volatile with the humanitarian situation” and cross-border population movements.
Africa CDC said initial findings suggest the presence of a non-Zaire strain of Ebola, which complicates the response as existing treatments and vaccines were developed for this Zaire version of the virus.
The current Ebola outbreak is the 17th in the DRC since the virus was first detected in the country.
The highly contagious haemorrhagic fever has killed an estimated 15,000 people in Africa over the past 50 years, despite advances in vaccines and treatment.
First identified in 1976 and believed to have originated in bats, Ebola is a deadly viral disease spread through direct contact with bodily fluids. It can cause severe bleeding and organ failure.
Guinea, Uganda, and Sierra Leone have also seen Ebola outbreaks in recent years.
