Ebola Outbreak Spreads to Sixth Province in DR Congo

Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have reported an Ebola-related death in Bas-Uele province, marking the sixth province affected by the country’s ongoing outbreak, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

The patient, who died in Buta, the provincial capital, had developed haemorrhagic symptoms associated with Ebola. Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya said the patient had travelled from Haut-Uele, one of the provinces already affected by the outbreak, to Bas-Uele, where transmission was subsequently detected.

The latest development has increased concerns over the continued spread of the virus. The patient was reportedly a motorcycle taxi driver who visited several health facilities before his death, raising fears that he may have exposed other people to the virus.

The latest situation report puts the number of confirmed cases at 4,449, with 2,061 deaths since the outbreak was declared in May. Kaseya warned that the epidemic remains uncontrolled, noting that more than 63 percent of deaths have occurred within communities rather than treatment centres.

The outbreak is currently affecting Haut-Uele, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Tshopo and Bas-Uele provinces. Ituri remains the main centre of transmission, with the Bundibugyo virus strain continuing to spread.

The World Health Organization has warned that the outbreak could surpass the scale of the 2014–2016 West African Ebola epidemic if the current rate of transmission continues. WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the outbreak as the second-largest Ebola epidemic on record and said it is spreading faster than any previous outbreak.
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