New Ebola case confirmed in eastern Congo, linked to previous outbreak – CTV
Aug. 22, 2022
DAKAR – A new case of Ebola virus has been confirmed in the city of Beni in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the country’s National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB) said on Monday.
Testing showed the case was genetically linked to the 2018-2020 outbreak in North Kivu and Ituri provinces, which killed nearly 2,300 people, said a statement from Placide Mbala, chief of the Pathogen Genomics Laboratory at INRB.
Another flare-up from that outbreak killed six people last year. Congo’s most recent outbreak was in a different part of the country, and was declared over in July after five deaths.
Ebola can sometimes linger in the eyes, central nervous system and bodily fluids of survivors and flare up years later.
The case was confirmed in a woman who died on Aug. 15 after being admitted to a hospital in Beni on July 23, the statement said.
