The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern.
Current Situation
As of Saturday, the WHO reports:
- DRC (Ituri province): 8 laboratory-confirmed cases, 246 suspected cases, and 80 suspected deaths.
- Uganda: 2 laboratory-confirmed cases, including 1 death. Both Ugandan cases involved people who traveled from the DRC and appear unrelated.
The WHO noted significant uncertainties about the total number of infected people and the outbreak’s geographic spread. Epidemiological links between known or suspected cases remain unclear.
Ebola in the DRC
This is the DRC’s 17th Ebola outbreak since the disease was first identified in the 1970s. The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a strain for which there are currently no vaccines or therapeutics available.
The WHO has previously declared international public health emergencies for Ebola, COVID-19, and mpox.
Global Response
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it is closely monitoring the outbreak and working with the DRC Ministry of Health to support response efforts. The CDC considers the risk to the U.S. public low.
“CDC has extensive experience and expertise in responding to Ebola outbreaks,” said acting CDC Director Jay Bhattacharya. “It is a large outbreak, and we were just informed yesterday about it. We’re committed to providing resources as needed and applying lessons learned from previous outbreaks.”
The WHO and CDC continue to monitor the situation closely as health authorities work to contain the outbreak and prevent further spread.
