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Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo/WHO declares global health emergency

2026-05-17 09:05:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo/WHO declares global health

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak in the eastern Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of Congo a public health emergency of international concern. The WHO also said that the outbreak, with some 246 suspected cases and 80 reported deaths, does not meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that there is currently uncertainty about the true number of people infected and the geographic spread of the outbreak.

The current strain of Ebola is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, the WHO said, for which there are no approved drugs or vaccines. There have been eight laboratory-confirmed cases of the virus so far, with other suspected cases and deaths in three health zones, including Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, and the gold-mining towns of Mongwalu and Rwampara.

The virus has spread beyond the Democratic Republic of Congo, with two confirmed cases reported in neighboring Uganda. Countries bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo are considered at high risk for further spread due to population mobility, trade, and travel.

The WHO advised that the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda establish emergency operations centers to monitor, trace and implement infection prevention measures. To minimize the spread, the health agency said confirmed cases should be immediately isolated and treated until two specific tests for Bundibugyo virus performed at least 48 hours apart come back negative.

For countries bordering regions with confirmed cases, governments should strengthen health surveillance and reporting. The WHO added that countries outside the affected region should not close their borders or restrict travel and trade as such measures are usually implemented out of fear and have no scientific basis.

Ebola was first discovered in 1976 in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo and is thought to have been spread by bats. This is the 17th outbreak of the deadly disease in the country. It is spread through direct contact with bodily fluids and through broken skin, causing severe bleeding and organ failure.

Early symptoms include fever, muscle aches, fatigue, headache and sore throat, and are followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rash and bleeding. There is no proven cure for Ebola, with an average mortality rate of about 50%, according to the WHO. /CNA