Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda reaches nearly 600 suspected cases

An Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda has grown to nearly 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths, with the head of WHO warning that the true scale of the epidemic is “much larger.”

WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a briefing Wednesday that 51 cases have been confirmed in the DRC, in the northern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, including in the cities of Bunia and Goma.

“Although we know the scale of the epidemic in DRC is much larger,” Tedros said.

Uganda has also reported two confirmed cases in its capital, Kampala, including one death, among two people who traveled from DRC to Uganda. An American national who was working in DRC has also tested positive and was transferred to Germany.

Tedros declared a public health emergency of international concern early Sunday, the WHO’s highest alert level for major international health threats before the newer “pandemic emergency” category. He said it was the first time a WHO director general had made such a declaration before convening an emergency committee.

WHO assessed the risk as high at the national and regional levels and low globally.

Beyond the 51 confirmed cases in DRC, WHO is tracking almost 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths.

“We expect those numbers to keep increasing given the amount of time the virus was circulating before the outbreak was detected,” Tedros said.

Tedros added that the outbreak has reached several urban areas, with deaths reported among health workers, indicating transmission linked to healthcare settings. He also pointed to heavy population movement in eastern DRC, where mining activity and worsening insecurity are increasing the risk of further spread.

The outbreak is caused by Bundibugyo virus, a species of Ebola virus for which there are no approved vaccines or therapeutics.

WHO said it has deployed staff, supplies, equipment and funds to support national authorities. Tedros said he approved an additional $3.4 million from the agency’s contingency fund for emergencies, bringing the total released for the response to $3.9 million.