An outbreak of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda has caused more than 500 suspected cases, including more than 130 deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday (19).
“I am deeply concerned about the scale and speed of the epidemic,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO, at an organization meeting in Geneva.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Monday that it has begun restricting some travelers from entering the country. The WHO declared the outbreak “a public health emergency of international concern”.
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The type of Ebola virus behind the most recent outbreak, known as Bundibugyo, is rare. There are fewer field tests available for it, and this form of the virus does not have a specific vaccine or treatment, which makes the outbreak more difficult to contain.
Where did the outbreak start?
It is not yet known exactly when this outbreak began, but it was first identified in May, in the province of Ituri, in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Laboratory tests have definitively linked just 30 cases in the region to the virus, according to the WHO. Two cases, including one death, were confirmed in Uganda in people who had traveled to Congo.
There are large numbers of people displaced by conflict in Ituri, as well as many migrant workers attracted by its gold mines. Tedros said the “significant population movement” in the region increased the risk of the virus spreading.
Initial surveillance and testing failed to identify the rare species of Ebola responsible for the current outbreak, delaying health authorities’ response. Five countries in the region began screening travelers or strengthening border controls.
What is Ebola?
Ebola is a disease caused by a group of related viruses known as orthoebolaviruses, first discovered in 1976 in the countries now known as South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in a region near the Ebola River. Fruit bats are believed to carry these viruses without getting sick.
Ebola outbreaks have mostly occurred in sub-Saharan Africa. Four of the six known species of Ebola virus cause disease in humans and can be fatal.
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People with Ebola may initially experience so-called “dry” symptoms, such as fever, body aches and fatigue, before progressing to “wet” symptoms, including diarrhea, vomiting and bleeding, according to the CDC.
Ebola can be contracted through contact with bodily fluids from an infected, sick or dead person, and also through contact with contaminated objects such as clothing, bedding, needles or medical equipment.
Are there vaccines?
Vaccines and an antiviral drug have been approved for the Zaire species of Ebola, the most common. But there is no vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo species, as outbreaks caused by it have been rare.
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The Bundibugyo virus was first identified in 2007, after a mysterious illness emerged in the Bundibugyo district of Uganda, on the border with Congo. In 2012, another similar outbreak was identified in Congo.
In January, scientists at the University of Oxford announced an effort to develop and test vaccines that protect against several deadly viruses, including Bundibugyo.
Fatality rates during the last two outbreaks of this form of Ebola ranged from 30% to 50% of those infected, according to the WHO.
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The incubation period for this species of Ebola virus ranges from two to 21 days, and people are generally not infectious until symptoms appear. But because early symptoms—such as fever and fatigue—resemble those of other diseases, including malaria, early detection can be difficult.
There have been several deadly Ebola outbreaks in recent years.
Ebola has repeatedly resurfaced since its discovery in 1976, when simultaneous outbreaks in South Sudan and Congo infected nearly 600 people and killed more than 430.
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In the 21st century, there have been several deadly Ebola virus outbreaks.
- 2025: Last year, health authorities in Congo officially declared the country’s 16th Ebola outbreak since 1976. There have been 53 confirmed cases and 45 deaths. Earlier that year, Uganda also recorded 12 confirmed cases and four deaths from Ebola.
- 2019: A serious outbreak has resulted in nearly 3,500 cases in Congo, with nearly 2,300 deaths.
- 2014: An Ebola epidemic in West Africa began in 2014 and ended in 2016. It was the largest such epidemic in history, with cases in southeastern Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. More than 28,600 people fell ill and more than 11,300 died. There have also been cases recorded in Congo, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.
- 2007: About 130 people in Uganda have fallen ill with the Bundibugyo virus, and more than 40 have died. In Congo, there have been more than 260 cases linked to the Zaire species of Ebola virus, and more than 70% of cases have resulted in death.
- 2003: Two outbreaks in the Republic of Congo have led to about 180 cases and 170 deaths.
- 2000: About 425 people fell ill during an outbreak in Uganda; more than half died.
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