In the new outbreak of the dangerous Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), 13 cases have been confirmed of the rare Bundibugyo variant, the African health agency Africa CDC said on Saturday.
The World Health Organization (WHO) currently has no approved vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain. Earlier outbreaks of the life-threatening disease mainly involved the most common Zaire ebola virus, Africa CDC said.
The Bundibugyo variant has a lower fatality rate of about 37%, according to the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Zaire strain can have a fatality rate of up to 90%.
Africa CDC said four deaths were confirmed so far in Ituri province in the north-east of the DRC, which borders Uganda and South Sudan. In neighbouring Uganda, one death was confirmed in which the Bundibugyo variant was also detected.
17th Ebola outbreak in the Congo
There are currently 246 suspected cases and 65 reported deaths in the DRC, Africa CDC said. Local infections in Uganda have not been confirmed so far. This is the 17th Ebola outbreak in the DRC since 1976.
The WHO received initial indications of possible cases in early May, sent experts to the affected area and is providing $500,000 for immediate measures.
Africa CDC said it was concerned about the risk of further spread of the virus because the current outbreak is in an urban border region with intense population movements. The authorities said they had stepped up border checks, isolated contacts and activated emergency teams in at-risk regions.
