The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has spread to an eighth province, North Ubangi, DRC’s public health institute said this Sunday, confirming earlier Reuters reporting.
The emergence of cases in the province, which borders Central African Republic, poses a new challenge for health authorities struggling to contain the outbreak.
The National Institute for Biomedical Research confirmed two cases, including one death, in North Ubangi.
Reuters reported on Thursday that two cases were confirmed in the province, citing two health officials. At the time, there was no official statement by DRC authorities.
North Ubangi becomes the eighth province affected by the outbreak, alongside North Kivu, Ituri, Haut-Uele, Tshopo, Sud-Kivu, Bas-Uele and South Ubangi.
The outbreak, the worst Ebola epidemic in DRC’s history, has already spread beyond the country’s borders, with cases recorded in Uganda and seven infections confirmed in Kenya this month.
–Reuters–
