The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), warning that the situation poses a significant risk of cross-border spread in Central Africa.
The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, has already resulted in widespread fatalities and infections across multiple regions, with health authorities reporting more than 80 suspected deaths, eight laboratory-confirmed cases, and 246 suspected cases in DRC’s Ituri province alone as of Saturday.
Cases have been identified across at least three health zones (Bunia, Rwampara, and Mongbwalu) with officials warning that the true scale of the outbreak may be larger due to rising case numbers and a high positivity rate in initial testing.
The WHO said the outbreak is “extraordinary” because there are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments for the Bundibugyo strain, unlike the more commonly known Ebola Zaire strain, for which medical countermeasures exist.
Health officials confirmed that the outbreak has already spread beyond the DRC, with cases detected in neighbouring Uganda.
In Uganda’s capital Kampala, two laboratory-confirmed cases, including one death, were reported in individuals who had recently travelled from the DRC. A separate confirmed case was also recorded in Kinshasa involving a traveller returning from Ituri.
The WHO said these developments demonstrate that international spread has already occurred, raising concern for neighbouring countries and regional health systems.
The United Nations health agency has urged countries in the region to activate emergency response systems, strengthen cross-border surveillance, and implement screening along major transport routes.
It also advised that confirmed cases should be immediately isolated and contacts monitored daily for 21 days, while restricting both national and international travel for exposed individuals.
However, the WHO cautioned against blanket border closures, warning that such measures could drive movement underground and make tracking the outbreak more difficult.
At the same time, the agency stressed that Bundibugyo virus contacts should not travel internationally unless for medical evacuation.
The DRC has experienced multiple Ebola outbreaks since the virus was first identified in 1976, with this being the 17th recorded outbreak in the country.
Health experts say the region’s dense tropical forests remain a natural reservoir for the virus, which spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids or contaminated materials.
Symptoms typically include fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, and severe body aches, with Ebola often proving fatal if not treated early.
The WHO said countries bordering eastern DRC remain at high risk of further transmission, as surveillance systems are stretched and population movement across borders continues.
Officials say the situation remains fluid, with ongoing monitoring and international coordination efforts now underway to contain the outbreak.
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has arrived in Turkmenistan for the Commonwealth of Independence States (CIS) summit. ...
Visitors to Armenia could face temperature screening after a lab worker died from suspected Pneumonic plague in Russia, Yerevan’s Health Mini...
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has called for further integration of infrastructure between regional countries to bolster the ...
Russia's health watchdog said on Tuesday that no cases of plague had been detected among anyone who had come into contact with a Siberian plague institute laboratory worker who died last week, and locals said their lives had barely been disrupted.
Russia struck Ukraine overnight in one of the biggest attacks of the conflict, killing at least 19 people, Kyiv's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. Around 70 missiles were fired at Ukraine during the attack, as well as drones, the Ministry said.
An Azerbaijani citizen died and another is missing after a cargo ship was attacked by a drone in the Black Sea, near the coast of Romania on Monday, 5 October, Baku's Foreign Ministry has said.
A large Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow and the surrounding region has killed two people, damaged homes and sparked a major fire at a key fuel facility, according to Russian officials and military bloggers.
The German-Azerbaijani Connectivity Conference 2026 commenced on 6 October in Baku under the title “Mobilising Finance for Infrastructure, Transport, Logistics, Green Energy, and Digitalisation along the Middle Corridor.”
Iran says it will deliver its response to recent U.S. proposals through intermediaries, underscoring that communication between the two countries continues indirectly alongside ongoing diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions.
International cooperation, lunar exploration and the growing role of artificial intelligence dominated the third day of a major astronautical conference now underway in Antalya.
Armenian authorities have frozen a wide range of assets belonging to billionaire businessman and opposition politician Gagik Tsarukyan as part of proceedings linked to the confiscation of property allegedly acquired illegally.
Azerbaijan has sent another batch of humanitarian aid to Ukraine, consisting of electrical equipment vital for restoring the country’s energy infrastructure and preparing for the winter season.
Russia struck Ukraine overnight in one of the biggest attacks of the conflict, killing at least 19 people, Kyiv's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. Around 70 missiles were fired at Ukraine during the attack, as well as drones, the Ministry said.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment