The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) may have begun as early as February, months before it was officially declared in May, according to genetic sequencing studies, a senior World Health Organization (WHO) official said Monday.
Speaking at a press conference in Bunia, capital of the eastern Ituri Province and the epicenter of the outbreak, WHO Regional Director for Africa Mohamed Yakub Janabi said genetic sequencing indicated that the virus had likely been circulating for months before the outbreak was detected.
The DRC officially declared outbreaks of Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus on May 15.
According to the latest figures released by local authorities, the DRC had recorded 4,209 confirmed cases, including 1,916 deaths, as of Aug 7.
DR Congo Ebola outbreak may have begun in February: WHO regional chief
Countries in the region have increasingly come to realize that they cannot rely on U.S. claims to provide security, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said at a press conference in Tehran on Monday.
He made the remarks while commenting on the newly signed trilateral defense agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
The Makkah Joint Defense Agreement stipulates that any armed attack against one of the three would be considered an attack against them all.
The timing of the signing has been widely viewed as closely linked to heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
Baghaei said the newly signed trilateral defense deal indicates a shift in regional security perceptions.
Given the developments over the past two or three years, regional countries have realized that security is not a commodity that can be purchased from dealers of false security, he said.
The spokesman said that Iran encourages regional countries to cooperate and strengthen mutual trust to achieve indigenous security, rather than relying on actors outside the region.
Baghaei also said that the United States itself is one of the causes of insecurity in the region, adding that without Washington's support for Israel, Israel would not be able to continue committing crimes across the region with impunity.
Iran says regional security cannot rely on US
