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Deadly Ebola Outbreak in DRC and Uganda; WHO Declares Health Emergency

From Daily Star · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda are battling a significant Ebola outbreak caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which no vaccine or drug currently exists.
  • The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an international health emergency due to the outbreak's scale and speed, with at least 139 deaths and over 600 suspected cases reported.
  • Experts question whether reduced US contributions to global health efforts may have delayed the crisis response, as the virus reportedly spread unnoticed for weeks.

A concerning Ebola outbreak is unfolding in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain. Unlike previous epidemics caused by the Zaire strain, for which a vaccine is available, this particular strain kills approximately one in three infected individuals and currently has no specific vaccine or drug treatment. This marks the third and deadliest Bundibugyo-related epidemic to date.

I'm deeply concerned about the scale and speed of the epidemic.

— Tedros AdhanomWHO Director-General, expressing concern about the current Ebola outbreak during the UN General Assembly.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an international health emergency, with current figures indicating at least 139 deaths and over 600 suspected cases. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom expressed deep concern over the epidemic's scale and rapid spread, noting that the reported numbers are likely an undercount as field operations scale up. The virus had reportedly been spreading undetected for several weeks before becoming widely known, prompting the WHO chief to bypass customary expert consultation before issuing the emergency declaration.

these numbers will change as field operations are scaling up, including strengthening surveillance, contact tracing, and laboratory testing.

— Tedros AdhanomWHO Director-General, warning that the reported figures for the Ebola outbreak are likely to increase as response efforts intensify.

Amidst the escalating crisis, questions are being raised about the potential impact of reduced US contributions to global health initiatives on the speed of the response. US epidemiologist Eric Feigl-Ding warns that the current figures might only represent the "tip of the iceberg," given the virus's rapid spread and its impact on healthcare workers. The situation in the DRC and Uganda highlights the critical need for robust international cooperation and sustained funding for global health security, especially when confronting novel or rare strains of dangerous pathogens.

Ebola is already killing health care workers and it's spread to so many different regions already. With very little testing, we're already finding so many [cases], that means we're just scraping the top and this outbreak is much wider than we thought.

— Eric Feigl-DingUS epidemiologist, warning about the potential severity and widespread nature of the current Ebola outbreak.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Daily Star in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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