More than 80 people have died following a rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo strain in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The virus has now reached the city of Goma, leading the World Health Organization to declare an international public health emergency amid concerns that the outbreak could be significantly worse than current reports indicate.
Professor Jean-Jacques Muyembe, who leads the National Institute of Biomedical Research, said the outbreak began in the Mongbwalu health zone before spreading swiftly to Bunia, Rwampara, and eventually Goma.
According to him, the centre of the outbreak remains Mongbwalu, adding that a new case was recently confirmed in Goma involving a woman who contracted the virus from her husband after he died in Bunia.
Medical authorities say efforts to contain the disease are being hindered because the outbreak is taking place in an overcrowded area plagued by violence and instability.
Muyembe warned that the epidemic could escalate quickly due to the presence of numerous armed groups operating within the province, making the response extremely difficult.
WHO sounds international alert
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, announced that the Ebola situation has officially been classified as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, which is the agency’s second-highest warning category.
Although he clarified that the outbreak does not currently qualify as a pandemic emergency, he cautioned that there are still many unknowns regarding the actual number of infections and how far the disease has spread geographically.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says at least 88 people have died, while 336 suspected infections have been recorded. Meanwhile, Doctors Without Borders has begun organising a major emergency operation, describing the pace of transmission as deeply alarming.
No approved vaccine available
Health experts say the current outbreak is linked to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which was first discovered in 2007.
Unlike the more common Zaire strain that already has approved vaccines, there is currently no licensed vaccine or targeted treatment for Bundibugyo. The strain can kill up to half of those infected.
Samuel-Roger Kamba, DR Congo’s health minister, stated that the first known patient was a nurse who developed symptoms in Bunia on April 24. Authorities in Uganda have also confirmed a death associated with the same Ebola strain.
Healthcare system struggles to cope
Community organisations in affected areas say conditions are worsening rapidly, with health facilities unable to isolate infected individuals properly.
Isaac Nyakulinda, a civil society representative in Bunia, said many patients are dying in their homes because there are no proper isolation centres, while relatives continue handling bodies themselves.
Limited laboratory services, dangerous roads and ongoing insecurity are also preventing widespread testing, increasing fears that the number of cases may be far higher than official statistics show.
The WHO stated that the growing number of suspected infections, positive test results and confirmed cases across two countries suggest the outbreak may be much larger than currently understood.
Fears of wider regional spread
The latest crisis marks the 17th Ebola outbreak recorded in DR Congo, a nation of more than 100 million people and one of Africa’s largest countries. Between 2018 and 2020, the region experienced its deadliest Ebola outbreak, which claimed nearly 2,300 lives.
Ebola is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids and commonly causes symptoms such as fever, vomiting and severe bleeding. The virus can remain in its incubation stage for as long as 21 days.
With the WHO intensifying monitoring efforts and Doctors Without Borders deploying more personnel and supplies, officials say the next few weeks will be crucial in deciding whether the outbreak can be brought under control.