The World Health Organization has declared an international health emergency after a deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo killed more than 80 people and infected hundreds across the region. Health officials warned that the outbreak poses a serious risk of cross-border transmission in Central Africa.
According to the latest update from Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 88 deaths and 336 suspected Ebola cases have been reported. The outbreak is linked to the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, a dangerous variant for which there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment.
The WHO described the crisis as a “public health emergency of international concern,” the second-highest alert level under international health regulations. Officials said the actual number of infections could be much higher due to limited testing, poor healthcare infrastructure, and the rapid spread of the virus in remote communities.
The Ebola outbreak was first confirmed in Ituri province in northeastern Congo, near the borders with Uganda and South Sudan. Health authorities also confirmed that one infected Congolese citizen died in neighboring Uganda, increasing fears of regional spread.
Congo Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba warned that the Bundibugyo Ebola strain has a fatality rate that can reach 50 percent. Symptoms of Ebola include high fever, severe bleeding, vomiting, weakness, and organ failure. The virus spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected individuals.
Medical aid organization Doctors Without Borders said it is preparing a large-scale emergency response to contain the outbreak. Aid workers reported that many patients are dying at home because of the lack of isolation centers and medical facilities in affected areas.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has experienced 17 Ebola outbreaks over the past decades. The deadliest outbreak between 2018 and 2020 killed nearly 2,300 people. Health experts fear the current outbreak could worsen quickly if immediate containment measures are not strengthened across the region.
