WHO warns of “scale and speed” of Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo

The head of the World Health Organisation has expressed concern over the “scale and speed” of a rare Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where authorities report 134 suspected deaths and more than 500 suspected cases.

The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, a rare variant for which there are currently no approved treatments or vaccines, Caliber.Az reports, citing the AP.

Health officials say the virus spread undetected for weeks after the first known death, as initial testing focused on a more common Ebola strain, with results coming back negative.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was “deeply concerned about the scale and speed of the epidemic”, citing the emergence of cases in urban areas, infections among healthcare workers and high population movement as key risk factors.

He later told a meeting of the UN health agency’s emergency committee that 30 cases had been confirmed in the DRC, while neighbouring Uganda has reported two confirmed cases, including one death in Kampala involving a person who had travelled from Congo.

The outbreak has been declared a public health emergency of international concern, prompting a coordinated international response as resources are deployed to affected provinces near the Ugandan border.

The crisis has also affected healthcare workers. An American doctor, Dr Peter Stafford, is among those infected in Bunia, according to the organisation he works with, Serge.

The World Health Organisation has also said an American patient was transferred to Germany for treatment, though it did not confirm identity details.

Ebola is transmitted through bodily fluids and is highly infectious, with symptoms including fever, vomiting, bleeding and severe weakness. Past outbreaks have been exacerbated by traditional burial practices and close caregiving within families.

Health experts say breaking the chain of transmission remains the most urgent challenge, particularly given delays in early detection and limited laboratory capacity in remote regions.

Officials acknowledged that initial testing failures and infrastructure constraints contributed to delays in confirming the outbreak, allowing the virus to spread further before detection.

Humanitarian organisations have warned that overcrowded treatment facilities and limited isolation capacity are now hampering containment efforts on the ground.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov