HEALTH officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have confirmed a fresh outbreak of the Ebola virus, which has already resulted in 15 deaths since late August, according to Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba.
The latest outbreak is centered in the central Kasai province, with 28 suspected cases recorded so far.
The first known case was reported on August 20, involving a 34-year-old pregnant woman admitted to hospital.
“This marks the 16th outbreak in our country,” Kamba told reporters in Kinshasa.
The DRC’s most devastating Ebola crisis occurred between 2018 and 2020, when nearly 2,300 people died in an epidemic that swept across the nation of more than 100 million people.
Ebola, first identified in 1976, is a highly contagious viral disease believed to have originated from bats.
It spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids and often leads to severe bleeding and organ failure.
Of the six known strains of Ebola, authorities confirmed that the Zaire strain—one for which a vaccine exists—is responsible for the new outbreak.
“Thankfully, there is a vaccine against the Zaire strain, but deploying it will require proper logistics,” Kamba noted, pointing to the DRC’s vast size and limited infrastructure as major challenges.
The country’s last Ebola outbreak, reported three years ago, killed six people.