An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) has spread to a seventh province, raising concerns over further transmission after a patient travelled across several regions.
The South-Ubangi provincial government officially declared an outbreak on Friday after laboratory analysis confirmed a suspected case, according to Channels Television.
The patient died after developing Ebola symptoms in Kisangani, the capital of Tshopo Province, where cases have already been reported. Before reaching South-Ubangi, the patient had travelled through Rwanda, Uganda and Ituri Province in northeastern DR Congo before continuing by boat along the Congo River.
South-Ubangi Acting Governor Jean-Rene Galekwa said the patient’s movements and the route taken by the boat could expose populations in North-Ubangi, Tshopo and Mongala provinces to the virus.
Authorities have identified 38 people who came into contact with the patient, and they have been placed in quarantine.
The outbreak was first detected in mid-May and had previously been reported in six provinces, mainly in the conflict-affected eastern and northeastern parts of the country, where armed groups and weak health infrastructure complicate disease-control efforts.
According to the latest figures from Congolese authorities, the current outbreak, the country’s 17th, has recorded 6,843 confirmed cases and 3,310 deaths.
Ebola spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids and can cause severe illness, including internal and external bleeding and organ failure.
The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain. Channels Television reports that there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment specifically for the strain, although several vaccines and treatments are being tested.
