Ebola outbreak kills 88 in DR Congo as WHO declares global emergency

A fast‑moving Ebola outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain has killed more than 80 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo and reached the major city of Goma, prompting the World Health Organization to declare an international health emergency amid fears the real scale of the crisis is far larger than reported.

Professor Jean‑Jacques Muyembe, head of the National Institute of Biomedical Research, confirmed that the epicentre lies in the Mongbwalu health zone, with infections quickly moving to Bunia, Rwampara — and now Goma.

“The epicentre must be the Mongbwalu health zone… and yesterday… there was a case in Goma,” he said, describing a woman infected by her husband who died in Bunia.

Health officials warn that the outbreak is unfolding in a densely populated, conflict‑affected region, complicating containment.

“It is an epidemic that will spread very rapidly… there are many armed groups in this province. That is what will make managing this epidemic very, very, very complicated,” Muyembe added.

WHO raises alarm as cases rise

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced that the situation now constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, the organisation’s second‑highest alert level.

He stressed that the outbreak “does not meet the criteria of a pandemic emergency”, but warned of major uncertainties around the true number of infections and the geographic spread.

Africa CDC reports 88 deaths and 336 suspected cases, while Doctors Without Borders prepares a “large‑scale response”, calling the rapid spread “extremely concerning”.

A strain with no vaccine

The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain, first identified in 2007.

Unlike the Zaire strain — for which vaccines exist — Bundibugyo has no approved vaccine or specific treatment, and its fatality rate can reach 50%.

DR Congo’s health minister Samuel‑Roger Kamba confirmed that patient zero was a nurse who reported symptoms in Bunia on April 24. Uganda has also reported one death linked to the same strain.

Fragile health system under pressure

Local civil society groups describe a dire situation: “There is nowhere to isolate the sick. They are dying at home and their bodies are being handled by their family members,” said Isaac Nyakulinda in Bunia.

Poor roads, insecurity and limited laboratory capacity mean few samples are being tested, raising fears the outbreak is far larger than official figures suggest.

The WHO notes that the high positivity rate, confirmed cases in two countries, and growing reports of suspected infections “all point towards a potentially much larger outbreak”.

Regional risk remains high

This is the 17th Ebola outbreak in DR Congo, a country four times the size of France with over 100 million inhabitants. The deadliest outbreak in the region, between 2018 and 2020, killed nearly 2,300 people.

Ebola spreads through bodily fluids, with symptoms including fever, vomiting and haemorrhaging. The incubation period can last up to 21 days.

As MSF mobilises staff and equipment, and WHO ramps up surveillance, authorities warn that the coming weeks will be critical in determining whether the outbreak can be contained.