DR Congo reports new Ebola case

By James Tasamba

KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) - Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday announced that they dictated a new case of Ebola virus, months after the most recent outbreak was declared over in July.

The new case was confirmed in the eastern city of Beni, according to the country's National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB).

The case involved a woman who died on Aug. 15 after being admitted to a hospital in Beni on July 23, INRB said in a statement.

“Our initial findings indicate that this case likely represents a new flare-up of the 2018-2020 Nord Kivu/Ituri outbreak, initiated by transmission of Ebola virus from a persistently infected survivor or a survivor who experienced a relapse,” it said.

As investigations continue to determine the source, at least 131 contacts of the woman have been identified, including 60 healthcare workers, 59 of whom are vaccinated against Ebola, according to the statement.

On Saturday, the World Health Organization said that authorities were investigating a suspected Ebola case in Beni after a 46-year-old woman died.

The most recent 14th outbreak in the Mbandaka city of the northwestern Equateur province was declared over in July after five deaths.

In 2018-2020, the deadliest outbreak killed nearly 2,300 people.