New deadly Ebola outbreak hits DR Congo, killed 65

The World Health Organization confirmed an ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's remote Ituri province.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said that around 246 cases and 65 deaths have been reported, mainly in the gold-mining towns of Mongwalu and Rwampara. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated the agency is working alongside DRC health authorities to contain the virus, deploying emergency medical supplies and deploying experts.

Ebola was first discovered in 1976 in what is now DR Congo, and is thought to have spread from bats. It is spread through direct contact with bodily fluids and through broken skin, causing severe bleeding and organ failure.