Congo will open 3 Ebola treatment centers as a rare strain spreads

The Democratic Republic of the Congo will establish three Ebola treatment centers in Ituri province to combat an outbreak of a rare strain with no approved vaccines or therapeutics. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on Sunday, reporting over 390 suspected cases and 105 deaths in Congo, along with two deaths in neighboring Uganda. The first Ebola-related death was recorded on April 24 in Bunia, Ituri’s capital, with the body repatriated to Mongbwalu, a mining area. Initial testing for the Zaire strain returned negative, delaying recognition of the outbreak, which escalated after 50 deaths were reported in Mongbwalu by May 5, including four health workers. The outbreak was confirmed on May 14, and cases have since spread to Kinshasa and Goma. Congolese Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba announced plans to expand treatment capabilities at three sites to manage the strain on hospitals. The WHO has dispatched experts and supplies to assist, while aid groups Medecins Sans Frontieres and the International Rescue Committee have sent response teams. CBS News reported six Americans may have been exposed to the virus, though this has not been independently verified. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued travel advisories urging Americans in Congo and Uganda to avoid contact with symptomatic individuals and implemented screening measures at ports of entry. The rare Ebola strain spreads through bodily fluids and has no approved treatments, heightening concerns about its rapid transmission. Health authorities are working to contain the outbreak while monitoring its spread across the region.