The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda a “public health emergency of international concern” following confirmed international spread of the virus.
According to the WHO, the outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus and poses a serious risk to neighboring countries sharing borders with the DRC.
As of Saturday, authorities recorded 80 suspected deaths, eight laboratory-confirmed cases, and 246 suspected infections in the DRC’s Ituri province, particularly in the health zones of Bunia, Rwampara, and Mongbwalu.
The DRC health ministry earlier said the death toll had already reached 80 in the eastern province.
The WHO warned the outbreak could be significantly larger than current figures suggest due to the increasing number of suspected cases and the high positivity rate among tested samples.
The United Nations health agency also confirmed that international spread has already been documented.
In Uganda’s capital Kampala, two laboratory-confirmed cases — including one death — were reported involving individuals who had traveled from the DRC.
A separate confirmed case was also detected in Kinshasa after a person returned from Ituri province.
The WHO described the outbreak as “extraordinary” because there are currently no approved vaccines or therapeutics specifically targeting the Bundibugyo strain, unlike the more common Ebola-Zaire strain.
Health authorities are now urging countries to activate emergency response systems, strengthen border monitoring, and intensify screening measures along major roads and crossing points.
The WHO advised that confirmed patients and close contacts should avoid international travel unless medically evacuated and stressed the need for immediate isolation and daily monitoring of exposed individuals for 21 days.
Despite the growing concern, the WHO cautioned countries against closing borders or restricting trade and travel, warning that such measures could trigger unmonitored crossings and worsen containment efforts.
Ebola is a severe and often fatal disease that spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected individuals, contaminated materials, or infected deceased persons. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and body pain.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has experienced multiple Ebola outbreaks since the virus was first identified in the country in 1976.
