World Health Organization declares Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda emergency of international concern

The World Health Organization on Sunday declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a “public health emergency of international concern”.

The WHO said the outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, does not yet qualify as a pandemic emergency, but warned that countries sharing land borders with the DRC face a high risk of further spread.

In a statement, the UN health agency said that as of Saturday, 80 suspected deaths, eight laboratory-confirmed cases and 246 suspected infections had been reported in DRC’s Ituri province across at least three health zones — Bunia, Rwampara and Mongbwalu.

WHO warns of international spread

The DRC health ministry had said on Friday that 80 people had died in the outbreak in the country’s eastern province.

The WHO warned that the outbreak could be far larger than currently detected and reported, citing the high positivity rate among initial samples and the rising number of suspected cases.

The agency described the outbreak as “extraordinary” because there are no approved Bundibugyo virus-specific vaccines or therapeutics, unlike for Ebola-Zaire strains.

According to the WHO, the DRC-Uganda outbreak poses a public health risk to other countries, with some instances of international spread already documented. The agency urged countries to activate national disaster and emergency-response systems, strengthen cross-border screening and increase monitoring on major internal roads.

In Kampala, Uganda’s capital, two apparently unrelated laboratory-confirmed cases — including one death — were reported on Friday and Saturday among people who had travelled from the DRC, the WHO said.

A laboratory-confirmed case was also reported in Kinshasa involving a person returning from Ituri province.

The WHO said contacts or confirmed cases of Bundibugyo virus disease should not travel internationally except for medical evacuation purposes.

The agency advised immediate isolation of confirmed cases and daily monitoring of contacts, with restrictions on domestic travel and no international travel until 21 days after exposure.

At the same time, the WHO cautioned countries against closing borders or restricting travel and trade out of fear, warning that such measures could drive people and goods toward informal and unmonitored crossings.