DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — A new Ebola outbreak in Congo is suspected of causing 15 deaths among 28 people with symptoms, the health ministry in the central African country said Thursday.
It's the 16th outbreak of Ebola in Congo, and Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba said the fatality rate, estimated at 53.6%, showed the gravity of the situation.
The confirmed case was of a 34-year-old pregnant woman in the locality of Boulapé, in southern Kasai province. Research on the suspected cases was ongoing.
“To date, the provisional report shows 28 suspected cases and 15 deaths, including 14 in Boulapé and 1 in Mweka, as well as four health care workers,” Kamba said.
The suspected cases and deaths presented symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea and heavy bleeding.
The World Health Organization said it dispatched its experts alongside Congo’s Rapid Response Team to Kasai province to strengthen disease surveillance, treatment and infection prevention and control in health facilities. It is also delivering supplies including personal protective equipment, mobile laboratory equipment and medical supplies.
Congo has a stockpile of treatments and of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine, WHO said.
“We’re acting with determination to rapidly halt the spread of the virus and protect communities,” said Dr. Mohamed Janabi, WHO regional director for Africa.
The Ebola virus is highly contagious and can be contracted through bodily fluids such as vomit, blood, or semen. The disease it causes is a rare but severe — and often fatal — illness in people.
FILE - Health workers dressed in protective gear begin their shift at an Ebola treatment center in Beni, Congo DRC, Tuesday, July 16, 2019. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado met with U.S. President Donald Trump, presenting him with her Nobel Peace Prize medal and praising his support for Venezuelan democracy, even as Trump has signaled a willingness to work with the country’s acting president.
As Machado was in Washington, acting President Delcy Rodríguez delivered her first state of the union address in Caracas, calling for reforms to Venezuela’s state-run oil industry aimed at attracting foreign investment following the removal of former President Nicolás Maduro. The former vice president also outlined a distinct vision for the future between the two historic adversaries, straying from her predecessors, who have long railed against American intervention in Venezuela.
This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
Military leaders arrive at the National Assembly where acting President Delcy Rodriguez addresses lawmakers in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
National Assembly lawmaker Nicolas Maduro Guerra, son of deposed President Nicolas Maduro, and his wife Grysell Torres arrive at the National Assembly for Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez first state of the union address in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez delivers her first state of the union address at the National Assembly in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez addresses lawmakers next to a picture of former President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, at the National Assembly in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez arrives at the National Assembly in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez, center, National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez, left, and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello arrive at the National Assembly in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado greets supporters on Pennsylvania Avenue near the White House after meeting with President Donald Trump Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado reaches out to embrace Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, left, as the Nobel Peace Prize recipient meets with Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., right, and others two weeks after President Donald Trump toppled Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro in a stunning military raid, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado arrives at the Capitol, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, left, leaving the White House in Washington, after meeting with President Donald Trump Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, center, leaves the Capitol, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado is welcomed as she arrives for meetings in the office of Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
