The World Health Organization has declared the Ebola outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a “public health emergency of international concern,” warning that neighbouring countries face a high risk of further spread as infections continue to rise.
The outbreak, linked to the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, has so far resulted in 80 suspected deaths, eight laboratory-confirmed infections and 246 suspected cases, according to the UN health agency. Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo said most of the fatalities were recorded in the country’s eastern province of Ituri.
“There could potentially be a much larger outbreak than what is currently being detected and reported,” the WHO said, citing a high positivity rate among initial samples and a growing number of suspected infections.
Despite the emergency declaration, the agency said the outbreak does not currently meet the threshold for a pandemic-level emergency. However, it warned that countries sharing land borders with Congo are particularly vulnerable to further transmission.
Health officials described the situation as especially concerning because there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments specifically targeting the Bundibugyo strain, unlike therapies developed for the more common Ebola-Zaire variant.
“The outbreak is extraordinary,” the WHO said, noting the absence of virus-specific therapeutics and vaccines.
The WHO also confirmed that cases linked to cross-border travel had already been identified. In Uganda’s capital, Kampala, two laboratory-confirmed infections — including one death — were detected in travellers arriving from Congo. Another confirmed case was reported in Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, involving a person who had recently travelled from Ituri province.
The agency urged governments to activate emergency-response systems, strengthen screening at border crossings and major transport routes, and intensify contact tracing efforts.
“Bundibugyo virus disease contacts or cases should not travel internationally, unless as part of a medical evacuation,” the WHO said.
The organisation recommended that confirmed patients be isolated immediately and that close contacts be monitored daily. It also advised restricting domestic travel for exposed individuals and prohibiting international travel for 21 days after exposure.
At the same time, the WHO cautioned countries against shutting borders or imposing trade and travel bans, warning that such measures could encourage unregulated crossings that are harder for health authorities to monitor.
“Closing borders could drive people and goods through informal crossings that are not monitored,” the agency warned.
