WHO Declares Ebola Outbreak in DR Congo an International Emergency

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo a public health emergency of international concern.

The agency said the outbreak in DR Congo’s eastern Ituri province, with approximately 246 suspected cases and 80 deaths reported, does not meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency.

However, the WHO warned it could potentially be “a much larger outbreak” than currently detected and reported, posing significant risks of local and regional spread.

The current strain is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, the health agency said, for which no approved drugs or vaccines exist.

Early symptoms include fever, muscle pain, fatigue, headache and sore throat, followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash and bleeding.

The WHO reported eight laboratory-confirmed cases, with other suspected cases and deaths across three health zones: Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, and the gold-mining towns of Mongwalu and Rwampara.

One confirmed case appeared in the capital Kinshasa, believed to involve a patient returning from Ituri.

The virus has spread beyond DR Congo, with two confirmed cases in neighbouring Uganda; Ugandan officials said a 59-year-old man who died Thursday tested positive.

The Ugandan government said the deceased patient was a Congolese citizen whose body has been returned to DR Congo.

AFP news agency reported Sunday that a laboratory confirmed an Ebola case in the eastern city of Goma, currently controlled by M23 rebels.

The WHO said the ongoing security situation and humanitarian crisis in DR Congo, combined with high population mobility, the urban location of the hotspot and numerous informal healthcare facilities, increased the risk of spread.

Countries bordering DR Congo are considered high risk due to trade and travel.

The WHO advised DR Congo and Uganda to establish emergency operation centres to monitor, trace and implement infection-prevention measures.

To minimize spread, the agency said confirmed cases should be immediately isolated and treated until two Bundibugyo virus-specific tests, conducted at least 48 hours apart, return negative.

For countries bordering affected regions, the WHO urged enhanced surveillance and health reporting.

The WHO added that countries outside the affected region should not close borders or restrict travel and trade, stating, “such measures are usually implemented out of fear and have no basis in science”.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned of “significant uncertainties to the true number of infected persons and geographic spread” of the outbreak.

Ebola was first discovered in 1976 in what is now DR Congo and is thought to have spread from bats; this marks the 17th outbreak of the deadly viral disease in the country.

There is no proven cure for Ebola, with an average fatality rate of about 50%, according to the WHO.

Africa CDC previously expressed concern over high risk of further spread due to urban settings in Rwampara and Bunia and mining activities in Mongwalu.

Dr. Jean Kaseya, executive director of Africa CDC, added that “significant population movement” between affected areas and neighbouring countries made regional coordination essential.

Approximately 15,000 people have died from the virus in African countries over the past 50 years.

DR Congo’s deadliest outbreak occurred between 2018 and 2020, during which nearly 2,300 people died.

Last year, 45 people died after an outbreak in a remote region.

Additional reporting by James Gallagher.