WHO Warns Ebola Cases in DR Congo Likely to Rise Further

The World Health Organization has warned that Ebola infections and deaths linked to the latest outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are expected to rise further as health officials continue tracing the spread of the virus.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday that there are now 600 suspected Ebola cases and 139 suspected deaths connected to the outbreak.

So far, 51 cases have been confirmed in DR Congo, where the outbreak began, while neighbouring Uganda has recorded two confirmed cases in its capital, Kampala. One of the infected travellers from DR Congo has died.

Speaking in Geneva, Ghebreyesus said the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola likely began spreading “a couple of months ago” before being detected.

Although the WHO declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on Sunday, the agency stressed that the situation does not currently meet the threshold for a pandemic.

“WHO assesses the risk of the epidemic as high at the national and regional levels and low at the global level,” Ghebreyesus said after the organisation’s emergency committee reviewed the situation.

Health officials say the epicentre of the outbreak remains eastern DR Congo, particularly Ituri province, where confirmed cases have been reported in Mongwalu, Bunia, Rwampara and Nyakunde. Cases have also emerged in North Kivu province, including the cities of Goma and Butembo.

According to WHO officials, healthcare workers are among those who have died, increasing concerns over the outbreak’s severity and the risk of wider transmission.

Investigators are still trying to determine how long the virus circulated before being identified. The first known patient was reportedly a nurse in Bunia who developed symptoms and died on 24 April. Her body was later taken to Mongwalu, one of two gold-mining towns heavily affected by the outbreak.

The current outbreak marks DR Congo’s 17th Ebola outbreak, but officials say the Bundibugyo species presents unique challenges because it has not been seen for more than a decade.

Bundibugyo has previously caused only two known outbreaks and historically killed around one-third of infected patients.

There are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments for the Bundibugyo strain, although experimental vaccines are under development. Health experts say vaccines designed for the more common Zaire strain of Ebola may offer limited protection, but this has not yet been confirmed.