Ebola Outbreak in DRC Began in January, WHO Says

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo may have begun as early as January, the head of the World Health Organization said, giving the virus a significant head start before detection. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the response is catching up but remains behind. Treatment centres have now been established across Ituri province, the most affected area.

Since the outbreak was identified in mid-May, the Bundibugyo virus has caused 344 confirmed Ebola cases including 60 deaths in DRC. Fifteen confirmed cases including one death have been recorded in neighbouring countries. The number of suspected cases in DRC fell abruptly on Tuesday from more than 1,000 to 116 as officials worked through a testing backlog.

Tedros said blanket travel restrictions were disrupting supply chains and hindering the response. He called on countries that have imposed such restrictions to lift them. Contact tracing remains difficult due to insecurity and displacement in Ituri, with only about 45 percent of contacts followed up.

Officials aim to raise that figure above 90 percent. There is currently no vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo strain. Six people in DRC and two in neighbouring countries have recovered after receiving care and seeking treatment promptly. Tedros said scaling up laboratory and diagnostic capacity remains a key priority.