Frequent burials, at least 80 dead as Congo grapples with Ebola outbreak

At least 80 deaths have been reported in Congo's new Ebola disease outbreak in the eastern Ituri province, authorities said, as health workers raced Saturday to intensify screening and contact tracing to contain the disease. Officials first announced the outbreak on Friday, with 65 deaths and 246 suspected cases. Locals in Ituri's capital, Bunia, said they were afraid for their lives amid frequent burials. "Every day, people are dying ... and this has been going on for about a week. In a single day, we bury two, three or even more people," said Jean Marc Asimwe, a resident of Bunia. Congolese Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba said late Friday there have been eight laboratory-confirmed cases, and among them four deaths. Test results confirmed it is the Bundibugyo virus, a variant of the disease that has been less prominent in Congo's past outbreaks. This is Congo's 17th outbreak since Ebola first emerged in the country in 1976. A general view of Bunia, Congo, Friday, May 15, 2026. Associated Press Ebola is highly contagious and can be contracted through bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen. The disease it causes is rare, but severe and often fatal. The Bundibugyo virus has only been responsible for two previous Ebola outbreaks, according to CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Céline Gounder. One, in Uganda in 2007, resulted in 55 cases. The other, in the Congo in 2012, resulted in 57 cases. …