Key facts
- Six new Ebola cases were reported in rebel-held eastern Congo.
- The cases were detected in Kayna and Alimbongo health zones.
- The cases are linked to a known transmission chain originating from Butembo city.
- Four cases were identified via post-mortem testing, and two patients are in treatment.
- The AFC/M23 rebels control large parts of North and South Kivu provinces.
- The overall Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo has caused over 4,000 deaths among 8,300 confirmed cases.
Six new cases of Ebola have been recorded in eastern Congo's rebel-controlled territories, according to a statement from the Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 rebels. These new infections were detected in the Kayna and Alimbongo health zones, areas near the front lines with government forces.
Epidemiological investigations indicate that these six cases are part of the same transmission chain that originated from a patient in the city of Butembo, located in government-held territory. Of the six new cases, four were identified through post-mortem testing of individuals who had died within their communities, while the remaining two patients are currently receiving treatment. Efforts to trace contacts are ongoing.
This development comes just days after the single previously known active Ebola case in rebel-held territory was discharged from a treatment center after 26 days. The rebels had previously declared their controlled areas Ebola-free in late June, having recorded only four cases at that time.
The broader Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo, which was declared on May 15, has resulted in over 4,000 deaths among 8,300 confirmed cases, according to government data released on Friday.