Ebola outbreak in Africa kills 65 with hundreds infected with potentially deadly virus

A new outbreak of the Ebola virus in the Congo, Africa, has claimed 65 lives so far. 

Of the 65 reported deaths, only four are laboratory-confirmed, according to the Associated Press, which cited a statement from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The proximity of the area where the outbreak is happening to Uganda and South Sudan is a major concern due to the high amounts of traffic and security issues in the region, African health authorities said. 

Ebola is highly contagious and can be transmitted to people by wild animals. It then spreads through human populations via contact with bodily fluids, including vomit, blood and semen. It can also spread through contact with surfaces, including bedding and clothing, that are contaminated with fluids. 

Victims who contract the disease experience fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and bleeding. The disease is often deadly. The latest outbreak is the 17th Congo has seen since the disease was first detected in 1976, and comes five months after a previous outbreak that killed 43. Six died in an outbreak in 2022.