Baku:The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has now spread to an eighth province, as efforts to control the nation's deadliest recorded epidemic continue. The Health Ministry reported that North Ubangi, located in northwestern Congo, is the latest province to be affected after confirming two new cases, including one death, in an area bordering the Central African Republic.

According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, the new cases in North Ubangi involved men in their 20s from the Wapinda health zone, which is adjacent to Bas-Uele province. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain, was previously confined to seven provinces Haut-Uele, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Bas-Uele, Tshopo, and South-Ubangi.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has noted that transmission remains highly variable across the affected regions, with Ituri being the principal focus of the outbreak. Significant transmission continues in North Kivu and Haut-Uele. To date, the number of confirmed Ebola cases in Congo has surpassed 9,400, with 4,536 deaths reported since the outbreak was declared in May.

Community resistance remains a significant challenge, with many fatalities occurring within communities. WHO Regional Director for Africa, Mohamed Yakub Janabi, emphasized the crucial role of local leaders in fostering trust and community engagement. The WHO also reported that around two-thirds of the deaths are happening at home.

This outbreak has become the largest and deadliest in Congo's history and the second-largest globally, following the 2014-2016 epidemic in West Africa. In addition, Kenya's Health Ministry confirmed a new case of Ebola, raising the number of positive cases in the country to eight this month. Health authorities are urging increased vigilance to prevent the virus from spreading further across borders.