Lethal Ebola surge leaves 65 lifeless as officers scramble to include lethal virus
A deadly Ebola surge in DR Congo’s mining hubs has killed 65, sparking fears of a regional crisis as the virus spreads toward neighbouring borders
A new Ebola outbreak has gripped the Democratic Republic of Congo(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
A terrifying new Ebola crisis has gripped the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with health chiefs sounding the alarm as the virus tears through vital gold-mining regions. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has confirmed a major outbreak in the eastern Ituri province, reporting a grim tally of 246 cases and 65 deaths so far.
The surge is centred around the bustling mining hubs of Mongwalu and Rwampara, sparking fears of a rapid spread through the industrial workforce.
Health officials are now scrambling to contain the pathogen before it jumps across international lines. The Africa CDC revealed on Friday that it is pulling together an emergency summit with the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan to ramp up cross-border surveillance.
Dr Jean Kaseya, executive director of the agency, warned that “significant population movement” between the mining hubs and neighbouring nations makes regional coordination a matter of life and death.
First identified in 1976, it marks the 17th time the DRC has battled the virus, which is believed to originate in bats.
The disease is notoriously difficult to contain due to how it attacks the human body, spreading via direct contact with infected bodily fluids or broken skin.
It begins with flu-like signs, including fever, muscle pain and fatigue, before escalating into vomiting, rashes, organ failure and internal/external bleeding. There is currently no proven cure for Ebola. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the average survival rate is 50 per cent.
The crisis is moving from remote outposts into urban centres. Suspected cases have already been flagged in Bunia, the provincial capital of Ituri. The Africa CDC has expressed “deep concern” regarding the high risk of a wider explosion in cases, citing the crowded urban environments of Rwampara and Bunia, alongside the transient nature of the Mongwalu mining camps.
Dr Jean Kaseya, from Africa CDC, said: “Significant population movement between the affected areas and neighbouring countries [means] regional co-ordination was essential.”
The timing of the outbreak couldn’t be worse for Ituri. The province has been under strict military rule since 2021 as the government attempts to suppress violent armed groups, including the ISIS-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).
While the Congolese government has yet to make an official state of emergency declaration, sources told the BBC a formal announcement is expected imminently. Last year, 45 people died from the virus in Kasai province, while the country’s worst-ever outbreak claimed nearly 2,300 lives between 2018 and 2020.
Approximately 15,000 people have been killed by Ebola across Africa over the last five decades. Locals in high-risk zones are being urged to strictly follow health guidelines as laboratory teams in Kinshasa work around the clock to identify the specific strain of the virus currently in circulation.
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