WHO Declares Ebola Risk ‘Very High’ as DR Congo Outbreak Worsens

The World Health Organization has raised the public health risk of the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to “very high” at the national level, warning that the virus continues to spread rapidly in the country’s eastern region.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola has become “deeply worrisome,” with 82 confirmed cases and seven confirmed deaths so far. Health authorities, however, believe the true scale is far greater, with nearly 750 suspected infections and 177 suspected deaths under investigation.

The outbreak’s epicentre remains Ituri province, where local authorities have imposed strict emergency measures to slow transmission. Public gatherings have been capped at 50 people, funerals are now restricted to specialised burial teams, and the local football league has been suspended.

Tensions have also risen in affected communities. In Rwampara town, residents reportedly set fire to an Ebola treatment centre and clashed with police while attempting to retrieve a victim’s body, highlighting widespread mistrust and misinformation surrounding the disease.

The Bundibugyo strain currently has no approved vaccine or treatment, prompting the WHO to classify the outbreak as an international health emergency earlier this week. Ebola spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids and can cause fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and severe bleeding.

Aid groups including the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have deployed volunteers to educate residents door-to-door about prevention and treatment options amid fears that false information could undermine containment efforts.

Health officials also confirmed that an American aid worker infected in the DRC was transferred to Germany for treatment, while another high-risk US contact was moved to the Czech Republic for monitoring.

WHO officials warned that underestimating the outbreak could have global consequences, stressing that even a single international transmission could put other countries at risk.

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