The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised the public health risk of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to “very high” nationally due to continued spread of the Bundibugyo strain.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reported 82 confirmed cases and seven deaths, alongside nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths, calling the situation “deeply worrisome.” The risk is now assessed as very high at national level, high regionally, and low globally.
In Ituri province, authorities have restricted funerals, limited public gatherings, and suspended football activities after unrest including attacks on an Ebola treatment centre. Officials say the Bundibugyo strain currently has no approved vaccine or treatment.
- 82 confirmed cases and 7 deaths reported
- ~750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths
- Risk level upgraded to very high nationally
- No approved vaccine or treatment for Bundibugyo strain
Agencies including the IFRC and US CDC are expanding response operations. WHO Africa director Mohamed Yakub Janabi warned the outbreak should not be underestimated, noting isolated international cases under monitoring.
Ebola is a rare but severe viral haemorrhagic fever caused by ebolaviruses, first identified in 1976 in outbreaks in what are now the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan. It spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated surfaces. It is not spread through the air under normal community conditions.
Symptoms include fever, weakness, vomiting and diarrhoea, and in severe cases internal or external bleeding. The disease can be fatal, with outcomes depending on the strain and speed of medical treatment.
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