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New alarm over deadly Ebola outbreak in Africa, 80 dead
2026-05-16 16:30:41 / BOTA
A new health alert has been raised after an Ebola outbreak in Congo's eastern Ituri province, where 80 people have died so far. The country's health ministry confirmed the presence of a dangerous strain of Bundibugyo in the Rwampara, Mongwalu and Bunia health zones, according to Reuters.
At least 246 suspected cases of infection have now been registered in the region. The first death, which raised suspicions among doctors, was the death of a nurse in Bunia, who had the classic symptoms of the disease: high fever, bleeding, vomiting and severe weakness. The Congolese government activated its emergency response center and strengthened epidemiological surveillance. According to the leadership of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an urgent meeting is being convened with the participation of representatives from Congo, Uganda and South Sudan to coordinate cross-border control.
The risk of the virus spreading is increased by the high mobility of the population involved in the local mining industries and the urban environment of Bunia. Uganda has already confirmed one death from Bundibugyo virus in Kampala, but has said the case was imported from Congo and there are no domestic infections yet. Congolese virologist Jean-Jacques Muyembe explained that almost all of the previous 16 cases in the country were caused by the Zaire strain. Identifying the Bundibugyo variant will significantly complicate the response, as existing certified vaccines and treatments were developed specifically against the Zaire strain.
The World Health Organization learned of the situation in early May and dispatched a team of experts. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the release of $500,000 from the reserve fund for contact tracing and emergency testing. Another negative factor is the prolonged security crisis in Ituri province, where civilians are being killed as a result of clashes between local militias.
The international humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned that violence is overwhelming the medical system and that catastrophic sanitary conditions in refugee camps are contributing to the rapid spread of the infection. Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with patients' bodily fluids.
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