Ebola Outbreak in Congo Spreads to Uganda and Suspected Cases Reported Elsewhere

The World Health Organization said the current Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is spreading faster than responders can contain it. The agency reported 51 confirmed cases and more than 900 suspected cases linked to the outbreak, along with 223 deaths in Ituri Province.

The International Rescue Committee stated that cases have moved beyond remote northeastern areas into larger regional centers, including the city of Goma and Uganda's capital, Kampala. Officials have reported two suspected cases in Uganda and one suspected death in Kampala.

A woman who traveled from Uganda was placed in quarantine in Bengaluru, India, with a suspected case. Two people who traveled from Uganda to Italy were hospitalized in Milan, but laboratory tests later ruled out Ebola. The Red Cross warned that ten other African countries face elevated risk.

The countries listed are Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, Burundi, the Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Zambia.

The current outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain, which carries a fatality rate between 21 percent and 50 percent. Ebola was first identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1976; this marks the country's 17th outbreak. Initial testing focused on the more common Zaire strain, producing negative results and allowing undetected spread for several weeks.

The virus transmits through contact with sweat, blood, feces, or vomit. " — Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO The WHO declared a pandemic emergency, its highest alert level since 2024. Scientists at Oxford University are testing the ChAdOx1 BDBV viral-vector vaccine, which could enter clinical trials within two to three months.

Aid cuts and local skepticism are also slowing containment. A survey by ActionAid found that one in three residents at the outbreak's center do not believe the virus is real. Ngone Ngobba Jean Claude, a resident of Lita village in Ituri, told ActionAid that some residents view the disease as invented or satanic and believe alcohol confers immunity.