DR Congo declares 16th Ebola outbreak

THE GOVERNMENT of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Thursday declared a new outbreak of Ebola in the central province of Kasai, the country's 16th since 1976, as the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that infections might rise further.

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DRC Health Minister Roger Kamba announced at a press conference in the capital, Kinshasa, that the Zaire strain of the Ebola virus had reemerged in the Bulape health zone, with 28 suspected cases reported, including 15 deaths. Four health workers were among the victims. “These figures remain provisional, as investigations are still ongoing,” Kamba said, stressing that the announcement was guided by transparency and scientific rigor.

Samples tested on September 3 at the DRC’s National Institute of Biomedical Research confirmed the cause of the outbreak as the Zaire strain, the WHO Regional Office for Africa said in a statement. “Case numbers are likely to increase as the transmission is ongoing,” it warned.