Ebola death confirmed in Congo's Bas-Uele province, officials say
Health officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo have confirmed that a motorcycle taxi driver died of Ebola in Bas-Uele, a province previously untouched by the outbreak.
A motorcycle taxi driver who moved from Haut-Uele to Bas-Uele has been identified as the first Ebola fatality in the latter province, according to Jean-Jacques Muyembe of the National Institute for Biomedical Research. The man died in Buta after developing bleeding symptoms consistent with Ebola and was confirmed positive after his death. Authorities noted that he sought care at multiple health facilities and that other taxi drivers tried to retrieve his corpse, leading police to intervene and heightening fears of additional infections.
Haut-Uele, already among the five provinces with confirmed cases, has reported 113 infections based on the latest government figures. The outbreak, declared on May 15, has so far infected 4,566 people and caused 2,128 deaths, making it the second-largest Ebola epidemic on record. Bas-Uele will be added to the official list of affected provinces only if evidence of local transmission emerges.
Why it matters
A new Ebola death in an uninfected province could signal wider spread of the outbreak.
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