WHO warns Ebola outbreak in DR Congo spreading faster than any previous epidemic
The World Health Organization has declared the current crisis the third-largest on record, with over 2,000 cases and 796 deaths recorded in just two months.
The World Health Organization has issued a stark warning that the Ebola virus is spreading through the Democratic Republic of Congo at a pace exceeding any previous epidemic. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed on Thursday that more than 2,000 confirmed cases and 796 deaths have been recorded in just two months, a trajectory that marks the current crisis as the third-largest Ebola outbreak on record.
In a comparison of historical data, Ghebreyesus noted that the major 2018-2020 outbreak in the DRC took more than 10 months to reach the 2,000-case threshold. The current outbreak, driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain, has breached that mark in half that time. The WHO chief emphasized that the virus has expanded faster in the past month than in any prior instance, complicating containment efforts significantly.
The outbreak, which is the 17th in the DRC’s history, was declared on 15 May following deaths in Ituri, a mineral-rich northeastern province affected by ongoing armed conflict. The virus, which spreads through close contact and infected bodily fluids, has since been identified in five DRC provinces and has crossed into neighbouring Uganda.
A critical barrier to containment is the absence of an approved vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo strain. Ghebreyesus highlighted that transmission chains are being missed, with more than 80 percent of new cases detected outside known contact lists. Furthermore, approximately two-thirds of deaths are occurring in communities among individuals who never received care in health facilities.
The operational environment has been further destabilised by violence targeting health infrastructure. On Wednesday, a treatment centre in Bunia, the capital of Ituri, was attacked. The WHO chief described the complex security situation as a major concern, noting that armed groups in the region are hindering response efforts. Meanwhile, local authorities in the DRC are utilising radio stations to combat misinformation surrounding the epidemic.
