Ebola outbreak expands to fourth province in drc: Haut-Uélé now affected

Three congolese provinces were already hit by the ebola epidemic: ituri (bordering Uganda and south Sudan), north kivu and south kivu. Twenty cases including two deaths have been recorded in Uganda.

Haut-Uélé has become the fourth province in the democratic republic of the Congo to report ebola cases. The region, which borders ituri, also shares frontiers with south Sudan and the central african republic.

An infected individual traveled from ituri to haut-ulélé, bringing the virus into the area, according to the national institute of biomedical research (INRB). Health officials confirmed the patient has died.

Health authorities are now working to trace the transmission chain and identify probable contacts. In many instances, the disease has spread during funeral rites. The body of an ebola victim is highly contagious.

For weeks, humanitarian workers on the ground have been trying, despite significant public distrust, to organize safe burials in affected zones that eliminate any human contact with the deceased.

In drc and elsewhere in africa, funeral ceremonies often last several days. Family members and loved ones typically touch the body during these rituals.

Armed group violence also plagues these regions

Incidents have been reported in recent weeks at several health centers, often sparked by angry community members demanding the remains of their relatives.

Haut-Uélé shares similar characteristics with ituri: both are borderlands rich in gold, making them hubs of intense movement and trade—conditions that accelerate virus spread.

These areas are also beset by armed group violence. In ituri, communal militias and the islamic state-affiliated ADF group have carried out regular massacres for a decade.

ADF fighters have recently made incursions into haut-ulélé, which is also destabilized by armed groups from neighboring countries. The insecurity surrounding the growing ebola outbreak complicates the health response, which was already delayed. Humanitarian and scientific experts say authorities were slow to detect the virus.

Epidemiological investigations still to be confirmed suggest the first suspected deaths may date back to january. In ituri, efforts have been stepped up recently, but health facilities in one of the world’s poorest countries often lack basic equipment such as protective kits and chlorine.

Ebola treatment centers set up with WHO and several ngos are already saturated, with occupancy rates above 138%, according to the national institute of public health (INSP). So far, 78 health workers have been infected, 18 of them fatally.

Experts and health authorities agree that more than six weeks after the official declaration of the epidemic, the peak has not yet been reached, and the crisis could last between six months and a year. Ebola, transmitted through contact with bodily fluids, has killed over 15,000 people in africa in the past 50 years.

The deadliest outbreak in drc, between 2018 and 2020, killed nearly 2,300 people out of 3,500 recorded cases.