ITURI, DRC: An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda has been declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization after at least 80 suspected deaths were reported.
The WHO stated that the outbreak, linked to the Bundibugyo virus strain, does not currently meet the threshold for a pandemic emergency. However, countries sharing borders with the DRC remain at high risk of further transmission.
According to a WHO statement issued on Sunday and reviewed by WorldAffairs, 80 suspected deaths, eight laboratory-confirmed cases, and 246 suspected infections had been recorded as of Saturday in Ituri province in eastern Congo. The outbreak has spread across multiple health zones, including Bunia, Rwampara, and Mongbwalu.
One confirmed Ebola case was also reported in the eastern Congolese city of Goma, according to a statement released by M23 rebels operating in the region.
The DRC health ministry had earlier confirmed on Friday that 80 people had died in the outbreak, marking the country’s 17th Ebola outbreak since the virus was first identified there in 1976.
The WHO warned that the actual scale of infections could be significantly larger due to the high positivity rate among initial laboratory samples and the rapidly increasing number of suspected cases being reported across affected areas.
Health officials described the outbreak as “extraordinary” because there are currently no approved vaccines or targeted therapeutics specifically designed for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, unlike the more common Ebola-Zaire strain responsible for most previous outbreaks in the DRC.
The WHO further warned that the outbreak already poses a regional public health threat, with documented international transmission cases now confirmed.
In Kampala, the capital of Uganda, two apparently unrelated laboratory-confirmed Ebola cases including one death were identified on Friday and Saturday involving travelers arriving from the DRC.
Meanwhile, a previously reported confirmed case in Kinshasa later tested negative after secondary testing, according to the WHO. The WHO urged governments in the region to activate emergency response systems, strengthen cross-border health screening, monitor internal transport corridors, and isolate confirmed Ebola patients immediately.
Health authorities also advised that contacts or confirmed cases linked to the Bundibugyo virus should avoid international travel unless medically evacuated. Confirmed cases and exposed individuals are being asked to remain under monitoring for 21 days after exposure.
Despite the growing outbreak, the WHO cautioned countries against closing borders or imposing broad travel and trade restrictions, warning that such measures could encourage unregulated informal crossings that would undermine disease surveillance efforts.
The dense tropical forests of eastern Congo are considered a natural reservoir for Ebola viruses, contributing to recurring outbreaks in the region. Jean Kaseya, Director General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, said he has requested technical guidance regarding the potential declaration of the outbreak as a “public health emergency of continental security.”
Ebola is a highly dangerous viral disease that spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids, contaminated materials, or the bodies of infected deceased persons. Symptoms typically include fever, severe body aches, vomiting, and diarrhoea, with fatality rates often remaining extremely high during uncontrolled outbreaks.
– Andrea Bonnerot
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