Congolese report constant burials as deaths in new Ebola outbreak reach 80

ITURI, Congo (AP) 鈥� At least 80 deaths have been reported in in the eastern Ituri province, authorities said, as health workers raced Saturday to intensify screening and contact tracing to contain the disease. Officials first announced the outbreak on Friday, with .

Meanwhile, Associated Press journalists in Ituri鈥檚 capital, Bunia, interviewed locals who recounted their fears and constant burials.

鈥淓very day, people are dying … and this has been going on for about a week. In a single day, we bury two, three, or even more people,鈥� said Jean Marc Asimwe, a resident of Bunia. 鈥淎t this point, we don鈥檛 really know what kind of disease it is,鈥� said Asimwe.

Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba said late Friday that there have been eight laboratory-confirmed cases, among them four deaths.

Test results confirmed the Bundibugyo virus, a variant of the disease that has been less prominent in Congo鈥檚 past outbreaks. This is Congo鈥檚 17th outbreak since Ebola first emerged in the country in 1976.

is highly contagious and can be contracted through bodily fluids such as vomit, blood, or semen. The disease it causes is rare, but severe and often fatal.

The suspected index case in the latest outbreak is a nurse who died at a hospital in Bunia, Kamba said. He said the case dates back three weeks to April 24.

He did not say whether samples from the nurse were tested, but said the person presented symptoms suggestive of Ebola.

Congo is a large country that often faces logistical challenges

Congo has experience in but often faces to get expertise and supplies to affected regions.

As Africa鈥檚 second-largest country by land area, Congo鈥檚 provinces are far from one another and mostly battling conflict. Ituri, for instance, is around 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the nation鈥檚 capital, Kinshasa, and is ravaged by violence from Islamic State-backed militants.

The disease is so far confirmed in three health zones in the Ituri province, including the capital city, Bunia, as well as in Rwampara and Mongwalu where the outbreak is concentrated.

Only 13 blood samples have been tested at the National Institute of Biomedical Research, eight returning positive with the Bundibugyo strain. The remaining five could not be analyzed due to an insufficient volume of samples, the health minister said.

In Bunia, business appears to be normal

In Bunia, Ituri’s main city, businesses and regular activities at public places appeared to be normal on Friday.

Resident Adeline Awekonimungu said she hopes the outbreak is quickly contained. “My recommendation is that the government take this matter seriously and that it takes charge of the hospitals so that this matter can be brought under control,鈥� she said.

Uganda also has confirmed an Ebola case that authorities said was 鈥渋mported鈥� from Congo. The person died at a hospital in Uganda鈥檚 capital, Kampala.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control 鈥媋nd Prevention had said it is concerned about the risk of further spread due to the proximity of affected areas to Uganda and South Sudan.