DRC faces deadly Ebola resurgence amid worsening humanitarian crisis

"The new Ebola outbreak has been reported in the towns of Rwampara, Mongwalu, and Bunia in northeastern DRC. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is grappling with a new Ebola outbreak just five months after declaring its previous epidemic over. The Bundibugyo strain, a type of Ebola virus first identified in neighbouring Uganda, is highly lethal and is spreading rapidly across the northeastern province of Ituri, including the health zones of Rwampara, Mongwalu and Bunia."

"With no specific treatment available, prevention, early detection and isolation of cases are critical. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern after more than 300 suspected cases and 88 deaths were reported. People are dying here every day, an official in the Rwampara health zone who requested anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media told Al Jazeera. Rwampara, the epicentre of the outbreak, has recorded an average of five deaths daily over the past three days, according to the official."

"The top priority here is to set up an emergency Ebola treatment centre, he added. In Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province, fear and uncertainty grip the city We are shocked that Ebola has returned amid an ongoing humanitarian and security crisis. If not contained, our daily lives will be severely affected, said Constant Ulimwengu, 40, a father of five, to Al Jazeera Sherif Musa, 29, another Bunia resident, recalled attending several funerals in April for people who died after showing symptoms resembling cholera."

"Perhaps these unusual deaths are linked to Ebola. I doubt there would be a large-scale outbreak if that were confirmed, he said. The Congolese Ministry of Health identified the suspected initial case as a nurse of unknown age who died at the Bunia Evangelical Medical Centre on Ap"

A new Ebola outbreak has been reported in Rwampara, Mongwalu, and Bunia in northeastern DRC, occurring only five months after the previous epidemic ended. The Bundibugyo strain, first identified in Uganda, is spreading rapidly across Ituri Province and has been confirmed in two cases in Uganda. With no specific treatment available, prevention, early detection, and isolation of cases are critical. WHO has declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern after more than 300 suspected cases and 88 deaths. Rwampara has recorded an average of five deaths daily, including deaths in communities and healthcare facilities. Emergency Ebola treatment centers are a top priority, while Bunia residents express fear amid ongoing humanitarian and security crises.

Read at www.aljazeera.com