The World Health Organization on May 17 declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a “public health emergency of international concern”, warning that the disease poses a serious risk of spreading to neighbouring countries.
According to the WHO, the outbreak is linked to the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus. While the situation has not been classified as a pandemic-level emergency, countries bordering the DRC are considered highly vulnerable to further transmission.
The UN health agency reported that, as of Saturday, 80 suspected deaths, eight laboratory-confirmed cases and 246 suspected infections had been recorded in Ituri province in eastern DRC. The affected areas include the Bunia, Rwampara and Mongbwalu health zones.
The DRC health ministry had earlier confirmed 80 deaths linked to the outbreak. WHO officials cautioned that the scale of the outbreak could be significantly larger due to the high positivity rate among tested samples and the rising number of suspected cases.
The WHO described the outbreak as “extraordinary” because there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments specifically targeting the Bundibugyo strain, unlike the more common Ebola-Zaire variant responsible for most previous outbreaks. This marks the 17th Ebola outbreak in the DRC since the virus was first identified there in 1976.
The agency also confirmed cases of international spread. In Uganda’s capital, Kampala, two laboratory-confirmed infections including one death were detected in travellers arriving from the DRC. Another confirmed case was identified in the DRC capital, Kinshasa, involving a traveller returning from Ituri province.
WHO urged countries to strengthen emergency-response systems, carry out border screening and monitor movement along major transport routes. Confirmed patients should be isolated immediately, while close contacts should be monitored daily and avoid travel for 21 days after exposure.
At the same time, the organisation advised against shutting borders or restricting trade and travel, warning that such actions could encourage unregulated crossings that are harder to monitor.
Ebola is endemic to the DRC’s tropical forest regions and spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids, contaminated objects, or deceased patients. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and severe body pain, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
