The World Health Organization on Sunday declared the escalating Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), amid growing concerns over the spread of the rare Bundibugyo strain. The declaration was made under the provisions of the International Health Regulations (IHR).
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the decision followed consultations with authorities in both countries, where cases linked to the Bundibugyo virus are currently being reported.
“After having consulted the DRC and Uganda where the Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus is known to be currently occurring, I determine that the epidemic constitutes a public health emergency of international concern,” Tedros said.
According to the WHO, as of May 16, eight laboratory-confirmed cases, 246 suspected cases and 80 suspected deaths had been reported in Ituri Province in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo across at least three health zones, including Bunia, Rwampara and Mongbwalu.
In Uganda, two laboratory-confirmed cases, including one death, were reported in Kampala within 24 hours on May 15 and 16 among travellers arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo. WHO said the two cases did not appear to be linked.
The agency added that a suspected case reported in Kinshasa involving a traveller returning from Ituri later tested negative for Bundibugyo virus after confirmatory testing by INRB.
WHO said that unlike the Ebola-Zaire strain, there are currently no approved vaccines or therapeutics specifically targeting the Bundibugyo virus strain.
A Highly Fatal Pathogen
According to official WHO data, Ebola is a severe, often fatal illness affecting humans and other primates, carries an average case fatality rate of around 50%. However, the UN health agency notes that lethality can vary wildly, with case fatality rates ranging from 25% to as high as 90% in past outbreaks.
The virus is zoonotic, initially transmitted to people from wild animals—such as fruit bats, porcupines, and non-human primates. Once introduced into the human population, it spreads rapidly through human-to-human transmission. This occurs via direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs, or other bodily fluids of infected people, as well as contact with surfaces and materials, such as bedding and clothing, contaminated with these fluids.
Diagnostic Challenges And Symptoms
Health officials face a complex battle on the ground due to the incubation period of the virus, which ranges from 2 to 21 days. The WHO notes that an infected person cannot spread the disease until they actively develop symptoms, making early detection critical but difficult.
The onset of the disease is often sudden, characterized by:
Fever, fatigue, malaise, muscle pain, headache, and sore throat.
Subsequent vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and rash.
Impaired kidney and liver functions.
In less frequent, severe cases, internal and external bleeding (such as oozing from the gums or blood in stools).
The WHO warned that because these early symptoms mimic those of malaria, typhoid fever, and meningitis, it is highly difficult to clinically distinguish Ebola without a range of specialized diagnostic tests.
