Africa's top health agency has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo's eastern Ituri province.

🌐 Here's What Happened

Around 246 cases and 65 deaths have been reported, mainly in the gold-mining towns of Mongwalu and Rwampara, said the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

Ugandan officials confirmed one case of imported Ebola from DR Congo on Friday, with the country's health ministry stating that a 59-year-old male who died on Thursday had tested positive.

Ebola was first discovered in 1976 in what is now DR Congo, and is thought to have spread from bats. This is the 17th outbreak of the deadly viral disease in the country.

📌 Key Details

It is spread through direct contact with bodily fluids and through broken skin, causing severe bleeding and organ failure.

Early symptoms include fever, muscle pain, fatigue, headache and sore throat, and are followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, a rash and bleeding.

There is no proven cure for Ebola. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the average fatality rate is around 50%.

Preliminary tests conducted at the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB) in the capital, Kinshasa, have detected the virus in 13 of 20 samples analysed, following consultations with DR Congo's Ministry of Health and National Public Institute.

Tests are also being carried out to identify the strain of the virus.

Of the 65 deaths, four were reported among lab-confirmed cases, Africa CDC said.

📰 Source: BBC Africa