The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has resulted in 900 suspected cases and 223 deaths, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) warning that the virus is spreading faster than health workers can respond. The outbreak is concentrated in Ituri Province in the northeast, where 51 confirmed cases have been reported.
Global Spread and Suspected Cases
Officials have reported two suspected cases of Ebola in Uganda, including one suspected death in Kampala. In India, a woman who travelled from Uganda has been placed in quarantine in Bengaluru with a suspected case. Italy also reported two suspected cases in Lombardy, though lab tests ruled out Ebola. The Red Cross has warned that ten other African countries are at risk: Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Zambia. However, the UK risk remains low, as no human-to-human transmission has occurred there.
WHO Response and Outbreak Details
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated, “At the moment, the epidemic is outpacing us,” before arriving in the DRC to oversee the response. The WHO has declared a pandemic emergency, the highest alert level since 2024. This is the 17th Ebola outbreak in the DRC, where the virus was first discovered in 1976. The current strain is Bundibugyo, with a fatality rate of 21–50%. Symptoms include muscle aches, fever, headache, sore throat, vomiting, and diarrhoea. Initial tests mistakenly targeted the Zaire strain, delaying detection for weeks.
Vaccine Development and Challenges
There is no cure for Ebola, which spreads through sweat, blood, faeces, or vomit. Scientists at Oxford University are urgently developing the ChAdOx1 BDBV vaccine, a viral-vector vaccine similar to those used for Covid-19. WHO says it could be available for clinical trials in two to three months. Aid cuts and misinformation are hampering containment. A survey by ActionAid found that one in three people at the outbreak epicentre do not believe the virus is real. Ngone Ngobba Jean Claude, a resident of Lita, said, “Some call it a satanic disease, while others believe it was invented to make money.”
