WHO Warns Ebola Outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo Is Spreading Rapidly

The World Health Organization warned Friday that an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is spreading rapidly as suspected cases rise, with Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus telling reporters in Geneva that the outbreak is “spreading rapidly” in eastern Congo.

The New York Times said the Ebola outbreak centered in the Democratic Republic of Congo is suspected to have caused over 170 deaths and about 750 infections, citing the World Health Organization, and it reported that the WHO had earlier declared the outbreak “a public health emergency of international concern.”

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Ars Technica reported that the WHO briefing put the outbreak as the third largest on record, with cases nearing 750, deaths reported at 177, and around 1,400 contacts being traced.

Ars Technica also said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus revised the risk assessment to “very high” at the national level, “high” at the regional level, and “low” at the global level.

The New York Times added that the WHO said the increase in reported cases was partly because of improved monitoring and laboratory testing, while Tedros warned that “violence and insecurity” in the region was making it harder to contain the outbreak.

The New York Times said the outbreak is caused by the Ebola virus type known as Bundibugyo, described as rare, and it reported that it has no targeted vaccine or treatment, making it harder to contain.

International Medical Corps said the current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain and that there are no vaccines or therapeutic treatments for it, while also noting that standard rapid tests are optimized for the more common Zaire strain, complicating early detection and response.

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Ars Technica reported that WHO officials acknowledged a delay in detecting and responding to the outbreak enabled it to balloon, and it quoted WHO representative Dr. Anne Ancia saying that when officials got to the area, they found the virus was “already rampant and silently disseminating for a few weeks already.”

Ars Technica further said the earliest known suspected case was in a health worker who developed symptoms on April 24 in Bunia, and it reported that WHO only got word of a potential outbreak on May 5 after a cluster of deadly, unidentified infections led to the deaths of four health workers.

The New York Times said the WHO warned the emergency could last months, even if it was unlikely to pose a global threat, and it tied the containment challenge to violence and insecurity in the region.

Al Jazeera reported that Ebola tensions rose after a treatment centre was torched in the Ituri province town of Rwampara, where residents set fire to the facility after being prevented from taking the body of a local man believed to have died from Ebola.

The Associated Press quoted Alexis Burata, a local student who said he was nearby at the time, saying, “The young people ended up setting fire to the centre.”

Al Jazeera said the incident underscored mistrust and anger around the response, noting that traditional funeral practices involving washing and touching the body and large gatherings are considered high risk for transmission during the outbreak.

Al Jazeera also quoted Deputy Senior Commissioner Jean Claude Mukendi, head of public security in Ituri province, saying, “All bodies must be buried according to the regulations.”

The New York Times framed the broader response challenge by reporting that Tedros warned “violence and insecurity” in the region was making it harder to contain the outbreak, while Ars Technica described the outbreak as spreading in areas with armed conflict, intense population mobility, and weak health systems.