Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have confirmed a new outbreak of the Ebola virus in central Kasai province, which has killed 15 people since late August.
Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba announced the development on Thursday in Kinshasa, noting that 28 suspected cases have been recorded. The first case was detected on August 20 in a 34-year-old pregnant woman who was admitted to hospital.
“This is the 16th outbreak recorded in our country,” Kamba said, adding that the Zaire strain — for which a vaccine exists — is responsible. He stressed that logistics must be in place before the vaccine can be deployed.
The DRC, with a population of over 100 million, has struggled with repeated Ebola outbreaks since the virus was first identified in 1976. Its deadliest outbreak between 2018 and 2020 claimed nearly 2,300 lives.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids and often causes severe bleeding and organ failure. Six strains of the virus exist, with varying levels of risk.
The country’s vast size and poor infrastructure pose major challenges to outbreak response, with limited and poorly maintained communication networks complicating health interventions.
The last Ebola outbreak in the DRC was reported three years ago and killed six people.
