An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has claimed the lives of 65 people. African health officials have confirmed this information.

So far, symptoms of this deadly hemorrhagic fever have been detected in 246 individuals in the country’s Ituri province. The province shares borders with Uganda and South Sudan.

Officials from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) have expressed concern regarding the potential spread of the infection. The region is home to numerous mines; consequently, the high volume of human movement in the area has made it difficult to contain this infectious disease.

Ebola is a severe illness characterized by a very high mortality rate. It spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids from an infected person, such as blood or vomit. The virus can even be transmitted through contact with a deceased person’s body during funeral rites.

Twenty samples were tested at Congo’s national laboratory. On Friday, the Africa CDC reported that the presence of the Ebola virus was detected in 13 of these samples.

Since Ebola was first identified in 1976, this marks the 16th outbreak of the disease to occur in Congo.

Typically, the “Zaire” strain of Ebola—for which a vaccine exists—is the variant observed in this country. However, the Africa CDC has indicated that preliminary tests suggest the current strain appears to be distinct. Full results are expected within 24 hours.

The agency convened an emergency meeting on Friday. Authorities from Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan, along with representatives from the World Health Organization and pharmaceutical companies, are participating in the meeting.

Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the Africa CDC, stated, “The Africa CDC stands in solidarity with the government and people of Congo in the fight against Ebola.” He further added, “There is significant movement of people between the affected areas and neighboring countries. Therefore, rapid regional coordination is essential.”