Nearly 50 known cases have been reported across a large region bordering the DRC and Central African Republic. Authorities initially announced the outbreak on 1 June, and since then 48 cases and a total of 20 deaths have been confirmed in Congo’s Equator province.

Mike Ryan, WHO Emergency Expert, said during a news briefing: “This is still a very active outbreak, and I would say it is still a great concern. I would caution everyone that while the numbers in this event are low, again in the era of Covid-19 it is very important that we do not take our eyes off these other emerging diseases and we saw in North Kivu and other previous outbreaks of Ebola that these can get out of control very easily.”

The province includes a part of the River Congo, a large area where communities are linked and people travel long distances, according to Ryan. A low level of development, the trauma of violence, geographical difficulties for access, several endemic tropical diseases and recurrent communicable disease outbreaks all compound the country’s health needs. Expats who live in the area often need to be transferred long distances to private hospitals.

Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, commented: “It’s happening at a challenging time, but WHO has worked over the last two years with health authorities, Africa CDC and other partners to strengthen national capacity to respond to outbreaks.

“To reinforce local leadership, WHO plans to send a team to support scaling up the response. Given the proximity of this new outbreak to busy transport routes and vulnerable neighbouring countries we must act quickly.”

Meanwhile, the 10th outbreak of Ebola in North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri provinces of the DRC is in its final stages. On 14 May the Ministry of Health began the 42-day countdown to the declaration of the end of that outbreak. New outbreaks of Ebola had been expected in the DRC given the existence of the virus in an animal reservoir in many parts of the country, according to the WHO.