The outbreak spread from North Kivu province into neighboring Ituri province when a man who was treated for heart problems in Mangina, where the outbreak was declared August 1, returned home.
The UN refugee agency is working closely with DRC authorities and other agencies on actions to contain Ebola on the national and regional level. But, its main focus is to monitor possible Ebola infections among refugees fleeing across the border, mainly to Uganda.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) health ministry reported the number of Ebola cases at 44, including 17 confirmed and 27 probable cases, with said 54 suspected cases under investigation.
The new outbreak is centered in a heavily populated stretch of Congo’s eastern border with Uganda — an area that is also the epicenter of decades-long clashes between dozens of militias that have forced millions into refugee camps.
The World Health Organization says experts are starting to carry out Ebola vaccinations in Congo's latest deadly outbreak.
Local health officials first suspected the emergence of Ebola after a 65-year-old woman with classic symptoms of the disease, died, and was buried in an unsafe manner, which led to the infection and death of seven of her relatives.
An Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is likely to spread over tens of kilometers and poses a high regional risk given its proximity to borders.
The rare occurrence of back-to-back Ebola outbreaks underscores the growing danger that infectious diseases pose to humanity.
Congo's health ministry is preparing to begin Ebola vaccinations Wednesday, August 8, in the eastern city of Beni and neighboring Mangina village.
The World Health Organization is worried about the safety of medical workers in North Kivu and their access to areas controlled by militants.