August 23, 2022

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 said on Monday.

Genetic sequencing showed the case is linked to the 2018-2020 outbreak in North Kivu province, which killed nearly 2,300 people, the institute said in a statement.

Ebola can sometimes linger in the eyes, central nervous system and bodily fluids of survivors and flare up years later.

The World Health Organization said on Saturday that authorities were investigating a suspected Ebola case after a 46-year-old woman died in Beni after showing symptoms consistent with the disease.

Congo’s dense tropical forests are a natural reservoir for the Ebola virus, which causes fever, body aches, and diarrhea.

REUTERS