The World Health Organization has declared the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, warning that the virus could spread further across the region.
According to the WHO, the outbreak in eastern Ituri province has already resulted in around 246 suspected cases and at least 80 deaths. The agency said the situation does not yet meet the criteria for a global pandemic emergency, but cautioned that the outbreak could become significantly larger than currently detected.
Health officials confirmed that the outbreak is being caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments. Early symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, and sore throat, followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, and in severe cases, internal and external bleeding.
The WHO reported eight laboratory-confirmed Ebola cases across several health zones, including Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, and the mining towns of Mongwalu and Rwampara. One confirmed case has also been identified in the Congolese capital, Kinshasa, involving a patient who had recently returned from Ituri.
The virus has already crossed borders into neighbouring Uganda, where two confirmed cases have been reported. Ugandan authorities said a 59-year-old Congolese man who died on Thursday tested positive for Ebola before his body was returned to DR Congo.
Meanwhile, a separate Ebola case has reportedly been confirmed in Goma, a major eastern Congolese city currently under the control of the M23 rebel group.
The WHO warned that ongoing conflict, population displacement, and a humanitarian crisis in eastern DR Congo are increasing the risk of rapid transmission. The organization also highlighted concerns over high population mobility, urban transmission hotspots, and the presence of many informal healthcare facilities.
Neighbouring countries, including Rwanda, have begun tightening border screening and strengthening surveillance systems as a precaution against further spread.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said there remain “significant uncertainties” regarding the true number of infections and the geographical extent of the outbreak.
Ebola was first identified in DR Congo in 1976 and is believed to have originated from infected animals such as fruit bats. This marks the country’s 17th Ebola outbreak. DR Congo’s deadliest outbreak occurred between 2018 and 2020, when nearly 2,300 people died.
The WHO has advised affected countries to establish emergency operation centres, intensify contact tracing, isolate confirmed patients, and improve infection prevention systems to contain the outbreak.
