WHO Chief Warns of Unprecedented Ebola Outbreak in DR Congo

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned on Thursday of an unprecedented outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which no approved vaccine or treatment is currently available.

Tedros told reporters that more than 2,000 Ebola infections, including 796 deaths, have been confirmed in the country since the outbreak was declared two months ago, making it the third-largest Ebola outbreak recorded so far.

He warned that the virus is spreading at an unprecedented speed, noting that the major Ebola outbreak in the DRC between 2018 and 2020 took more than 10 months to reach 2,000 confirmed cases, while the current outbreak has expanded at a faster rate within just one month.

Cases have been reported in five Congolese provinces, as well as neighboring Uganda. The virus spreads through close contact and exposure to contaminated bodily fluids.

Despite intensified response efforts, Tedros warned that more than 80% of new infections are being detected among people who were not listed as known contacts, indicating that some chains of transmission remain undetected.

He added that around two-thirds of deaths are occurring within communities among people who did not receive medical care at health facilities.

Tedros said one of the main concerns is the complex environment in which the outbreak is unfolding, amid an ongoing armed conflict. He noted that an Ebola treatment center in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, came under attack on Wednesday.