The Ebola outbreak ravaging the Democratic Republic of Congo has reached a seventh province, South-Ubangi, which borders the Central African Republic and Congo-Brazzaville, provincial authorities confirmed on Friday.
Acting governor Jean-Rene Galekwa announced the outbreak after a suspected case tested positive. A patient died in the province following an extensive journey through several regions, some previously untouched by the virus.
The outbreak, first detected in mid-May, had until now been confined to six provinces in DRC’s conflict-hit east and northeast, areas where armed groups operate and health infrastructure remains weak.
It is the 17th Ebola outbreak in the country’s history and the deadliest on record, with 3,310 deaths from 6,843 confirmed cases, according to the latest government figures.
Galekwa said the deceased patient developed symptoms in Kisangani, capital of Tshopo province, after travelling through Rwanda, Uganda and Ituri province before continuing by boat along the Congo River.
“The route taken both by the patient and by the boat exposes the population” of North-Ubangi, Tshopo and Mongala provinces, Galekwa said, adding that 38 contacts have been identified and placed in quarantine.
Ebola spreads through contact with bodily fluids and can cause severe bleeding and organ failure. The current outbreak is driven by the Bundibugyo strain, for which no approved vaccine or treatment yet exists, though several are in trials.
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