WHO declares Ebola outbreak in DR Congo an international emergency

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - GENEVA — The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern after 80 deaths were attributed to the disease.

The UN health agency said the outbreak, caused by ‌the Bundibugyo virus, did not meet the criteria of a pandemic emergency. But it warned that it could potentially become "a much larger outbreak" than what is currently being detected and reported, with significant risk the disease could spread further to countries sharing land borders with the DRC.

WHO said in a statement that 80 suspected deaths, eight laboratory-confirmed cases and 246 suspected cases had been reported as of Saturday across DRC's Ituri province.

The WHO said a majority of the cases were detected in three health zones including Bunia the capital of Ituri province, and the gold-mining towns of Mongwalu and Rwampara.

One case of the virus has been confirmed in the capital Kinshasa, believed to be in a patient returning from Ituri. One case was confirmed in the eastern Congolese city of Goma, currently controlled by the M23 rebels, the AFP news agency reported on Sunday.

The WHO said that the virus has spread beyond DR Congo, with two confirmed cases reported in neighbouring Uganda. Ugandan officials said a 59-year-old man who died on Thursday had tested positive.

In a statement, the Ugandan government said the patient who died was a Congolese citizen whose body had already been returned to DR Congo.

At least six Americans have been exposed to Ebola in DR Congo, and one has displayed symptoms but none have been confirmed to have been infected, CBS reported.

The US government was reportedly trying to transport them out of the country, possibly to a military base in Germany.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it planned to send more staff to DR Congo and Uganda, while the US Embassy in DR Congo issued a health alert reminding citizens not to travel to Ituri province.

The WHO said the ongoing security situation and humanitarian crisis in DR Congo, combined with high population mobility, the urban location of the hotspot, and the large number of informal healthcare facilities in the region increased the risk of spread.

Countries bordering the DR Congo are considered high risk due to trade and travel.

Rwanda said it would be tightening screening along the country's border with DR Congo as a "precautionary measure".

Its health ministry said surveillance systems had been strengthened and health teams were on alert to "ensure early detection and rapid response if needed".

The WHO advised that DR Congo and Uganda establish emergency operation centres to monitor, trace, and implement infection-prevention measures.

To minimize spread, it said confirmed cases should be immediately isolated and treated until two Bundibugyo virus-specific tests conducted at least 48 hours apart are negative.

For countries bordering regions with confirmed cases, governments should enhance surveillance and health reporting.

The WHO added that countries outside the affected region should not close their borders or restrict travel and trade as "such measures are usually implemented out of fear and have no basis in science".

WHO director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned there are currently "significant uncertainties to the true number of infected persons and geographic spread" of the outbreak.

Ebola was first discovered in 1976 in what is now DR Congo, and is thought to have spread from bats. This is the 17th outbreak of the deadly viral disease in the country.

Early symptoms include fever, muscle pain, fatigue, headache and sore throat, and are followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, a rash and bleeding.

There is no proven cure for Ebola, with the average fatality rate is around 50%, according to the WHO.

Africa CDC previously said it was concerned by the high risk of further spread due to the urban settings of Rwampara and Bunia, and mining activities in Mongwalu.

The health agency's executive director Dr Jean Kaseya added that "significant population movement" between the affected areas and neighbouring countries also meant regional co-ordination was essential.

Around 15,000 people have died from the virus in African countries over the past 50 years.

DR Congo's deadliest outbreak was between 2018 and 2020, during which nearly 2,300 people died.

Last year, 45 people died after an outbreak in a remote region.