The World Health Organization said countries bordering Congo face a high risk of further spread.
Congo – At least 87 deaths reported New Ebola outbreak in Congo In the eastern province of Ituri, health workers race to step up screening and contact tracing to contain the disease, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Saturday, warning of “active community transmission” in the area.
The World Health Organization said it declared it a “Public health emergency of international concern” Sunday.
The World Health Organization says the outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, does not meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency, but countries bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo face a high risk of further spread.
Here’s what we know so far.
The epidemic has spread to neighboring Uganda
Uganda confirmed a case of Ebola on Friday, which authorities said was “imported” from Congo. The man died at Kibuli Muslim Hospital in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, on May 14.
The World Health Organization said the outbreak now constitutes a “public health emergency of international concern.” This enhances the international response to disease spread, surveillance and response, and means that people infected with or suspected of being exposed to the disease should not travel.
The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it was concerned about the risk of further spread of the disease due to the affected areas’ proximity to Uganda and South Sudan.
The Ugandan Ministry of Health said the remains of the patient who died in Kampala were later brought back to Congo, and no other cases have been confirmed locally.
People were checked at the entrance of Kibuli Muslim Hospital on Saturday.
Ismail Kigongo, who lives in Kampala, said the new outbreak reminded him of the father he lost during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I was really scared because I remember burying my father without looking at his body,” he said.
Uganda’s neighbor Kenya said on Saturday that there was a “moderate risk of importation” of Ebola due to regional travel. The Kenyan government said it has formed Ebola preparedness teams and stepped up surveillance at all ports of entry.
What do the locals say?
Meanwhile, AP reporters in Bunia, the Ituri capital, spoke with locals who described their fears and ongoing burials.
“People are dying every day… This has been going on for about a week. In one day we have buried two, three or more people,” said Jean Marc Asimwe, a Bunia resident. “At this time, we don’t know what disease this is.”
Ebola It is highly contagious and can be contracted through body fluids such as vomit, blood or semen. The illness it causes is rare but serious and often fatal.
Officials first announced Congo’s latest outbreak on Friday 65 deaths and 246 suspected cases. As of Saturday, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 336 suspected cases and 13 confirmed cases. Four people have died among the confirmed cases.
During an online briefing on Saturday, Africa CDC Director-General Dr. Jean Kasea said the first case was reported in the Mungwalu health zone, a high-traffic mining region. “As patients sought medical care, the cases subsequently moved to Rwampara and Bunia, thereby spreading across the three health zones,” he said.
Kasea said there are still a large number of active cases within local communities, especially in Monwalou, “which makes containment and contact tracing efforts very complex.”
Insecurity in Ituri, Islamic State-backed militants are there Carrying out rampant deadly attacksHe added that restrictions on surveillance and rapid response operations continue.
Of the 87 deaths, 57 were in the Mongwalu health zone, 27 in the Rwampara health zone and three in Bunia, the main city of Ituri.
Congo Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba said late on Friday that the test results confirmed Bundibugyo virus, a variant of the disease that has not been as prominent in past outbreaks in Congo. This is the 17th outbreak since Ebola first emerged in Congo in 1976.
Kamba said the suspected index case in the latest outbreak was a nurse who died in a hospital in Bunia. He said the case dates back three weeks to April 24.
He did not say whether the nurse’s sample had been tested, but said the nurse was showing symptoms of Ebola.
Congo is a large country that often faces logistical challenges
Congo has experience Managing the Ebola outbreak but often face Logistical challenges Providing expertise and supplies to affected areas.
Africa’s second-largest country by landmass, Congo’s provinces are far apart from each other and most are mired in conflict. Ituri, for example, is about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the country’s capital, Kinshasa, and has been ravaged by violence by Islamic State-backed militants.
The National Institute of Biomedical Research tested only 13 blood samples; eight people tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain. The health minister said the remaining five cases could not be analyzed due to insufficient sample size.
In Ituri’s main city of Bunia, business and routine activities in public places appeared normal on Friday.
Resident Adeline Awekonimungu said she hoped the outbreak could be contained quickly. “My advice is for the government to take this seriously and take charge of the hospitals so that this matter can be brought under control,” she said.
Associated Press writers Chinedu Asadu in Abuja, Nigeria; Jean-Yves Kamale in Kinshasa, Congo; Patrick Onen in Kampala, Uganda; and Evelyne Musambi in Nairobi, Kenya, contributed.
The Associated Press receives financial support from the Gates Foundation for coverage of global health and development in Africa. The Associated Press is solely responsible for all content. Find the AP standard For working with charities, a list of supporters and funded coverage is at Associated Press.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. all rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
