Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo are trying to contain a worsening Ebola outbreak in the country’s east, where officials say at least 100 people have died and hundreds of suspected cases are under investigation.
The outbreak has been reported in Ituri province, a region close to the Ugandan border where frequent cross-border movement has heightened concern among health agencies. Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, said more than 390 suspected infections had been recorded, warning that the response now depends heavily on rapid detection, isolation, contact tracing, and strict public health measures.
The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, a designation used when an outbreak poses a risk beyond national borders and requires a coordinated international response. The agency has said the situation does not amount to a pandemic, but it has warned that the true scale of infections may be larger than the number currently being detected.
The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment. Patients can still benefit from early supportive care, including fluids, monitoring, and treatment of complications, but health officials say preventing transmission remains the most urgent priority.
Kaseya urged communities to follow official guidance, particularly when burying people who have died from the disease. “We don’t want people infected because of funerals,” he told the BBC World Service’s Newsday programme.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person, including after death. Unsafe burial practices contributed to the spread of the 2014 to 2016 West Africa outbreak, the largest ever recorded, which infected more than 28,600 people and killed 11,325.
Uganda has also confirmed cases, including at least one death, while neighbouring countries have been urged to step up screening and surveillance. Rwanda has tightened checks along its border with DR Congo, and Nigeria said it is monitoring the situation closely.
The outbreak has also drawn attention from the United States after an American doctor working in DR Congo tested positive. The unnamed doctor is expected to be transferred to Germany for treatment, while U.S. officials said they are assisting with the “safe withdrawal of a small number of Americans who are directly affected.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the risk to the American public remains relatively low, but it is increasing traveller monitoring, contact tracing, testing capacity, and hospital preparedness.