At least 80 deaths linked to a new Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have been recorded, according to local authorities. Health workers are racing to expand screening and contact tracing to control the disease.
The country’s health ministry said nearly 250 suspected cases of the highly contagious hemorrhagic fever have been recorded in eastern DRC, including one death in neighboring Uganda. This has raised concerns the outbreak could spread to other countries in the region.
“The Bundibugyo strain has no vaccine, no specific treatment,” Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba said on Saturday. “This strain has a very high fatality rate, possibly up to 50%.”
The 17th outbreak since the disease was first recorded in the country was confirmed on Friday in the northeastern Ituri province, bordering Uganda and South Sudan. At that time, 65 suspected Ebola deaths had been confirmed; the figure rose to 80 on Saturday.
According to Mr. Kamba, the first suspected case (patient zero) was a nurse who arrived at a health facility in the provincial capital Bunia on April 24 with symptoms suggestive of Ebola.
The outbreak has been confirmed in three health zones in Ituri province, including Bunia, Rwampara, and Mongwalu—the area with the highest number of cases.
Only 13 blood samples were tested at the National Institute for Biomedical Research; eight samples tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain. The remaining five could not be analyzed due to insufficient volume, the health minister added.
The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has expressed concern that the outbreak could spread rapidly, due to the high population density in Ituri’s towns and the affected area’s geographical proximity to Uganda and South Sudan.
The agency also warned about high cross-border travel between the outbreak zone and neighboring countries, along with logistical challenges in preventing further Ebola spread.
Medical aid organizations such as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) are coordinating the response.
“The number of cases and deaths in a short period, combined with the spread across multiple health zones and now across borders, is truly alarming,” said Trish Newport, MSF emergency program manager.
Mr. Jagan Chapagain, IFRC Secretary General, emphasized: “The evolving epidemiological situation and the risk of cross-border spread demand timely, coordinated, and sustained action. Community dialogue and trust-building are essential for people to seek early medical care, helping to stop the outbreak at its source.”
Ebola was first identified in 1976. Three virus strains are responsible for most outbreaks in Africa, though vaccines exist only for the Zaire strain. Without treatment, up to 90% of cases can be fatal.
The Bundibugyo strain causing the current outbreak was only discovered in 2006. Since Ebola was identified 50 years ago, tens of thousands of people in Africa have been infected, with around 15,000 deaths.
