DR Congo Ebola death toll hits 87 as outbreak strain lacks vaccine, poses high risk: Africa CDC

The death toll from the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has risen to 87, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said Saturday, warning that the outbreak is driven by the Bundibugyo strain, for which no strain-specific vaccine is currently available, and that it carries a high risk of regional spread.

A total of 336 cases, including both suspected and confirmed infections, and 87 deaths have been reported in the latest outbreak in Ituri Province in eastern DRC -- the country's 17th Ebola outbreak since 1976, said Jean Kaseya, director general of Africa CDC, during an online press briefing.

The outbreak has raised regional alarm after Uganda reported an imported Bundibugyo case from the DRC, while Africa CDC warned that cross-border movement, mining-related mobility, and weak surveillance could hamper containment.

Uganda confirmed an imported case involving a 59-year-old Congolese man who died in Kampala on Thursday and tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain.

Africa CDC rated the latest Ebola outbreak at Grade 3, with the risk assessed as very high in the DRC, high for eastern Africa, and moderate for the continent. It cited a four-week detection delay, active community transmission in a peri-urban mining hub, weak contact tracing, infection-control gaps, and multiple health-care worker deaths.

The Ebola virus is highly contagious and can cause symptoms including fever, vomiting, diarrhea, generalized pain or malaise, and, in severe cases, internal and external bleeding.

According to the World Health Organization, Ebola fatality rates vary, depending on the viral subtype.

DR Congo Ebola death toll hits 87 as outbreak strain lacks vaccine, poses high risk: Africa CDC

A 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck Liunan District in Liuzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, at 00:21 Monday Beijing time, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC)

The quake's epicenter was monitored at 24.38 degrees north latitude and 109.26 degrees east longitude, with a depth of eight kilometers, the center said.

Tremors were felt in the urban areas of Liuzhou, Guilin, Guigang, Wuzhou, Hechi, Nanning and Laibin.

The China Earthquake Administration (CEA) initiated a Level III emergency response following the quake.

In Taiyangcun Township, near the epicenter, seven self-built roadside houses were reported to have collapsed, leaving some people trapped. Cracks were also reported in several buildings.

Following the earthquake, the Guangxi Earthquake Bureau activated a Level II emergency response. A rescue team from the Liunan Fire Brigade, consisting of 30 personnel and four vehicles, has arrived at the scene and is carrying out search-and-rescue operations, while another 80 rescuers are expected to arrive later.

5.2-magnitude quake strikes south China's Guangxi