WHO Reports 600 Suspected Ebola Cases, 139 Deaths in DR Congo and Uganda

The World Health Organization says the growing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda has reached 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths.

Speaking in Geneva on Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the outbreak remains a “public health emergency of international concern,” though it has not been classified as a pandemic.

Health officials say the outbreak is being driven by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment.

According to the WHO, 51 cases have been laboratory confirmed in the Congolese provinces of Ituri and North Kivu. Uganda has also confirmed two cases in Kampala, including one death linked to cross-border travel from DR Congo.

WHO emergencies chief Chikwe Ihekweazu said the agency’s immediate priority is tracing chains of transmission to determine the full scale of the outbreak and improve patient care efforts.

Officials believe the outbreak may have started months ago, with the first suspected death reported on April 20. Investigators are examining a possible super-spreader event connected to either a funeral gathering or a healthcare facility.

Meanwhile, European Union officials said the risk of the disease spreading widely in Europe remains “very low,” while advising the public to continue following normal health precautions.

The outbreak comes only five months after DR Congo declared an earlier Ebola epidemic officially over.

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