GENEVA / EuroWire / — The World Health Organization has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern after confirmed cross-border spread of Bundibugyo virus disease and a sharp rise in suspected cases and deaths in eastern Congo.
The declaration, made under the International Health Regulations, applies to an outbreak centered in Ituri Province and to confirmed imported cases in Kampala, Uganda. WHO said the event met the threshold for international concern because of documented spread beyond Congo, uncertainty over the full extent of transmission, and the need for coordinated surveillance, laboratory testing and response operations.
As of May 16, Congo had reported eight laboratory-confirmed cases, 246 suspected cases and 80 suspected deaths in Ituri Province across at least Bunia, Rwampara and Mongbwalu health zones. Uganda reported two laboratory-confirmed cases, including one death, in Kampala among people who had traveled from Congo, with no confirmed local transmission reported there at the time of the latest official update.
Confirmed cross-border spread
The outbreak is caused by Bundibugyo virus, one of the viruses that can cause Ebola disease. Health officials confirmed the strain after initial standard Ebola testing in Congo produced negative results and further analysis identified Bundibugyo virus in samples linked to severe illness and deaths in Ituri. Authorities said the first known suspected case in the current outbreak was a health worker whose symptoms began on April 24 and who later died in Bunia.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported updated figures as of May 17, citing 10 confirmed cases and 336 suspected cases, including 88 deaths, in Congo, along with two confirmed cases and one death in Uganda. The agency said no Ebola cases linked to the outbreak had been confirmed in the United States and assessed the overall risk to the American public and travelers as low.
Response focuses on containment
There is no approved vaccine or specific treatment for Bundibugyo virus disease, and response measures rely on early detection, isolation, supportive care, contact tracing, infection prevention, safe burials and community engagement. WHO said rapid response teams, medical supplies, laboratory support and infection-control assessments were being deployed, with priority placed on affected areas in Ituri and on cross-border preparedness.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said it was coordinating with national health authorities and partners on regional response priorities, including surveillance, laboratory sequencing, case management, contact management and risk communication. Health authorities in Congo and Uganda have activated outbreak-control measures, while WHO advised countries not to impose border closures or broad travel and trade restrictions, saying such measures can hinder response operations and drive movement through informal crossings.