The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has expanded to North Ubangi province, health officials told Reuters on Thursday. Two cases have been confirmed in the new territory, though Congolese authorities have not yet made an official announcement regarding the geographic spread.
The outbreak, which was announced in mid-May, has become the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record. Reuters reported that cumulative totals across the country have surpassed 9,000 cases and 4,000 deaths. However, situation report data recorded 7,258 confirmed cases and 3,510 deaths, reflecting a case fatality ratio of 48.4 percent.
Mining Area Investigations and Epicenter Shifts
A health official in North Ubangi told Reuters that recent suspect deaths in a mining area within the Wapinda health zone triggered the latest samples. Those samples are currently undergoing laboratory analysis at a provincial facility and in Kinshasa. The Wapinda health zone sits close to the border with Bas-Uele province, which is also managing infections.
1/3 A 23-year-old man with Ebola traveled more than 2,000 km through Rwanda, Uganda and across Congo before dying in the northwestern province of Sud-Ubangi.His case extends Congo’s outbreak to a seventh province — and leaves contacts to trace along a three-week journey. pic.twitter.com/4qfOnA2MD6
Ituri province remains the epicentre of the outbreak, according to Reuters and situation report data, though transmission dynamics vary by region. Data indicates that Ituri accounts for 78.0 percent of cumulative confirmed cases, while transmission has recently increased in North Kivu province and persists in Haut-Uele. Additional infections are confirmed in South Kivu, Tshopo, Haut-Uele, Bas-Uele and South Ubangi provinces, making North Ubangi the eighth impacted region.
International Spread Reaches Uganda and Kenya
The cross-border transmission of the Bundibugyo species has affected neighboring countries. Reuters reported that Uganda recorded cases before being declared Ebola-free in August. Meanwhile, Kenya announced its first Ebola infection earlier this month, followed by a second confirmed case in a close family member on Wednesday.