KINSHASA, May 21 (Xinhua) -- The March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group on Thursday announced the confirmation of a new case of Ebola virus disease in Bukavu, making South Kivu the latest province affected by the outbreak spreading across the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
According to the M23, the patient, a 28-year-old man who had traveled from Kisangani in the eastern province of Tshopo, died before the diagnosis was confirmed. The burial was carried out in accordance with existing health protocols.
No cases have been officially reported in Tshopo Province so far.
The M23 said that samples of more than 200 suspected cases have been collected in areas under its control and sent to Goma, the capital of North Kivu Province, which is also held by the group, for laboratory analysis.
In Goma, one confirmed case remains under strict medical supervision, while identified contacts have been isolated, the group said.
Over the past 24 hours, DRC health authorities and the World Health Organization have reported a worsening epidemic across the country, with around 600 suspected cases and 139 probable deaths recorded since the outbreak was officially declared on May 15.
The outbreak, which initially spread mainly in Ituri Province, has since expanded to North Kivu and now South Kivu, while two confirmed cases have also been reported in neighboring Uganda. ■
