The World Health Organization has declared the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern as cases continue to rise and health authorities struggle to contain a rare and dangerous viral strain.
The outbreak, first confirmed by Africa’s top public health body in Congo’s Ituri province, has now recorded at least 336 suspected cases and 88 deaths. While most cases are concentrated in Congo, Uganda has also confirmed infections, raising fears of cross border transmission in a region already facing insecurity and limited health infrastructure.
Health officials say the outbreak is being driven by the Bundibugyo virus, a rare variant of Ebola that has no approved vaccine or treatment. This makes containment significantly more difficult compared to other Ebola strains such as Ebola Zaire, which has been the dominant form in most previous outbreaks in the region.
The Bundibugyo strain was first identified in Uganda in 2007 and has only appeared in a small number of outbreaks since then, including a limited case cluster in Congo in 2012. Its reemergence has raised concern among global health experts due to its rarity and the lack of widely available medical countermeasures.
The World Health Organization said the emergency declaration is intended to accelerate international response efforts, mobilise funding and strengthen coordination between affected countries. However, the organisation also clarified that the outbreak does not meet pandemic criteria and does not require border closures.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the outbreak began in Mongwalu health zone, a mining region in eastern Congo’s Ituri province. The virus has since spread to nearby health zones including Bunia, the provincial capital, driven in part by population movement as patients seek treatment.
Health authorities have warned that the region’s poor road infrastructure, combined with ongoing insecurity and displacement caused by armed groups, is complicating efforts to trace contacts and isolate infections. Bunia’s proximity to the Ugandan border has further heightened concerns about regional spread.
Response teams from Africa CDC and partner organisations have been deployed to strengthen surveillance, manage border screening points, and support safe burial practices. Contact tracing efforts are ongoing, but officials acknowledge significant gaps due to logistical and security constraints.
Funding remains another major challenge. The World Health Organization has released 500,000 dollars for emergency response, while Africa CDC has mobilised about 2 million dollars, both of which officials say fall far short of what is required for a full scale containment effort.
Ebola is a highly infectious disease that spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated materials. It causes severe symptoms including fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle pain and in many cases internal or external bleeding. The disease has a high fatality rate and requires rapid intervention to prevent widespread transmission.
The virus was first identified in 1976 near the Ebola River in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. Since then, the country has experienced more than a dozen outbreaks, making it one of the most affected regions globally.
Experts say the combination of a rare strain, weak infrastructure, and active conflict zones presents a serious challenge for containment efforts. International agencies are now racing to scale up response capacity to prevent further regional spread.
