At least 80 people have died in a new Ebola outbreak in northeastern Congo's Ituri province.
According to the Associated Press, cases have been reported in the Rwampara and Mongwalu health zones, as well as the provincial capital Bunia. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 246 infections.
Experts are alarmed that the detected Bundibugyo strain differs from the Zaire strain that caused 15 of the previous 16 outbreaks. Existing vaccines and treatments are primarily effective against the Zaire strain, complicating the fight against the current outbreak.
The affected areas are close to the borders of Uganda and South Sudan. High population migration and active mining activities are exacerbating the situation.
Uganda's Ministry of Health reported that a Congolese citizen infected with the same strain died in the capital Kampala. No local transmission has been recorded.
This is the 17th Ebola outbreak in Congo since the virus was first discovered in 1976.
