At least 120 people have died in the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, an official said Monday, a 50% increase in just two days since the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on Saturday.
The Bundibugyo strain, which has no approved vaccine or antiviral, was at 80 deaths and 246 suspected cases when WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus issued the PHEIC over the weekend. Officials say hundreds of suspected cases are now under investigation across the eastern Ituri province, with more expected in the coming weeks.
The DRC government is opening three new treatment centres in Ituri, and the WHO is deploying additional experts to support the response. Health workers say the outbreak went undetected for weeks because early diagnostic tests targeted the wrong Ebola strain — Bundibugyo is one of the rarer strains and is not covered by the licensed vaccines used during the 2018–2020 Zaire-strain emergency.
The 17th Ebola outbreak in DR Congo since 1976, this is the first PHEIC-level declaration for the virus in six years. Uganda has also reported confirmed cases. The WHO has reiterated that travel and border restrictions are not advised, citing scientific consensus that such measures hinder response without containing transmission.
Sources: Ada Derana
