Africa's top public health agency said on Friday that there was a confirmed Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo's Ituri province, with 65 deaths out of 246 suspected cases so far.
The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement that it was convening an urgent meeting with Congo, Uganda, South Sudan and global partners to reinforce cross-border surveillance, preparedness and response efforts.
It said the deaths and suspected cases had been reported mainly in the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones, while four deaths had been reported among laboratory-confirmed cases. Suspected cases have also been reported in Bunia, the provincial capital.
The agency said initial findings suggested the presence of a non-Zaire strain of the virus, with sequencing ongoing to further characterize it.
Another outbreak: 41 people being monitored for hantavirus exposure. See map of US states.
