The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) a public health emergency of international concern following rising infections and deaths in the country’s eastern region.
According to the WHO, the outbreak has so far recorded about 246 suspected cases and 80 deaths in Ituri province, although the agency says the situation has not yet reached the threshold of a global pandemic emergency.
Health officials, however, warn the outbreak could be far more widespread than current figures suggest, with a high risk of further transmission within DR Congo and across neighbouring countries.
The outbreak is linked to the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments.
Early symptoms of the disease include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, and sore throat. In severe cases, patients may develop vomiting, diarrhoea, skin rashes, and internal or external bleeding.
The WHO confirmed that eight cases have been verified through laboratory testing, while additional suspected infections and deaths have been reported across three major health zones, including Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, as well as the gold-mining towns of Mongwalu and Rwampara.
Authorities have also confirmed one Ebola case in Kinshasa after a patient travelled from Ituri to the capital.
The virus has now spread beyond DR Congo’s borders, with Uganda recording two confirmed cases. Ugandan officials said a 59-year-old Congolese man who tested positive for Ebola died on Thursday before his body was returned to DR Congo.
Reports also indicate that a confirmed Ebola case has emerged in Goma, the eastern Congolese city currently under the control of M23 rebels.
Meanwhile, reports from international media suggest at least six Americans in DR Congo may have been exposed to the virus. One individual is said to have developed symptoms, although no infection has yet been officially confirmed.
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says it plans to deploy more health personnel to both DR Congo and Uganda to help contain the outbreak. The US Embassy in DR Congo has also advised its citizens to avoid travel to Ituri province.
The WHO noted that the worsening humanitarian crisis and insecurity in eastern DR Congo, coupled with high population movement and weak healthcare systems, are increasing the likelihood of wider spread.
Countries sharing borders with DR Congo are now on heightened alert. Rwanda announced tighter border screening measures, saying health surveillance systems had been strengthened to ensure early detection and rapid response.
The WHO has urged DR Congo and Uganda to establish emergency operation centres to improve monitoring, contact tracing, and infection prevention efforts.
The agency also advised against border closures or restrictions on travel and trade, insisting that such measures are often driven by fear rather than science.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that major uncertainties remain about the actual number of infections and the full geographical spread of the outbreak.
