Ebola outbreak in DR Congo's Ituri province
At least 65 people have died and 246 suspected cases have been reported in a new Ebola outbreak centered in Ituri province in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, which authorities have identified as caused by Bundibugyo ebolavirus. Uganda's Ministry of Health confirmed a linked case after a 59-year-old man died following travel from the DRC, and health officials are monitoring suspected cross-border cases in South Sudan and Rwanda. Bundibugyo is a less common Ebola species and does not have the widely deployed vaccines and monoclonal antibody therapies used against Ebola Zaire, complicating treatment and containment. Past funding shortfalls and limited local resources raise concern about the speed and scale of the public health response in the region.
