Ebola Outbreak in DR Congo Spreads Rapidly, Overwhelming Health System
Carlos Mureithi (The Guardian)
The 17th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is spreading at an alarming rate, overwhelming health facilities. The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no approved treatment or vaccine, and is compounded by armed conflict, local customs, and aid cuts.
“The speed at which this Ebola outbreak is spreading is truly concerning,” warned Rose Tchwenko, Country Director for Mercy Corps in the DRC. “The risk of wider spread is real, and urgent regional and global support is needed.”
Since the first patient died in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, on April 24, nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected Ebola deaths have been recorded. Mourners who attended the funeral and touched the body in nearby Mongbwalu contributed to the virus's spread.
Hospitals and health centers quickly became overwhelmed. Trish Newport, emergency program manager for Doctors Without Borders (MSF), said a team identified suspected cases at Salama hospital in Bunia but could find no isolation ward with space. “Every health facility they called said: ‘We are full of suspected cases. There is no room left,’” she shared on social media. “This shows how chaotic the situation currently is.”
This outbreak, the 17th in the DRC, is caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain, for which no approved treatment or vaccine exists. Other factors hindering the response include the remote, conflict-affected location; local funeral customs that clash with strict disease control measures; and major cuts in aid budgets, largely due to U.S. foreign aid reductions.
A study by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) earlier this year found that more than half of health facilities surveyed in North and South Kivu provinces – which also reported cases – had been damaged or destroyed, and nearly half reported significant staff departures since January 2025 due to conflict and insecurity.
Two incidents this week illustrate the complicating factors. On Tuesday, at least 17 people were killed in an attack by the armed group Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) on several villages near the town of Mambasa in Ituri province. “We are facing a double war: one of arms and one of disease,” said Zawadi Jeanne, a woman from the town who lost her brother and uncle in an ADF attack last month.
On Thursday, a crowd set fire to a treatment center in Rwampara, near Bunia, after authorities refused to hand over the body of a victim whom they wanted to bury themselves. Body burials can be highly infectious, usually handled by authorities for disease control, but some families want traditional rites, including washing and touching the body. In previous outbreaks, this has proven a major driver of spread.
On Friday, Ituri province banned overnight funeral vigils and ordered that burials be performed only by specialized teams. The province also banned transporting bodies in non-medical vehicles and limited public gatherings to a maximum of 50 people.
Avoiding physical contact is hampered by a culture where touch is a strong expression of affection. “We live in a society where shaking hands is a daily menu,” said Jackson Lubula, who lives in Bunia. “With this disease, anything can happen. A small mistake can cost you dearly, so I decided to wash my hands with soap after every greeting.”
Reports from across affected areas indicate the virus has spread undetected. A rapid assessment by ActionAid in Bunia, Nizi, and Nyankunde found that nearly a third of schools had at least one suspected Ebola case or close contact.
On Saturday, the Red Cross said three of its volunteers died this month, believed to have been infected with the virus from March 27 while performing body management duties on an unrelated humanitarian mission.
Dr. Richard Kojan, an intensive care physician with Alima who has responded to multiple Ebola outbreaks, said this outbreak shares many similarities with previous ones: late detection, insufficient response resources, and lack of a vaccine from the start. “The epidemic has spiraled out of control,” he said from Kinshasa, the DRC capital, this week.
With no approved vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo strain, Dr. Kojan said health workers are focusing on optimizing standard of care for patients and setting up surveillance and contact tracing for suspected cases. “If they are brought into a treatment center early, the viral load will be low, and with optimal care, they will have a high probability of survival,” he said.
Alima is also deploying a mobile treatment unit called Cube, a transparent plastic structure that allows interaction between patients, relatives, and health workers without needing personal protective equipment.
