Ebola ‘spreading faster than any previous outbreak’ in DR Congo, WHO warns

Ebola Spreading at Unprecedented Pace in DR Congo

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a stark warning that the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is expanding faster than any previous episode of the virus on record. According to official data, the country has reached 2,011 confirmed cases, including 754 deaths, just two months after the outbreak was declared on May 15.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that while a previous major outbreak in the DRC between 2018 and 2020 took over 10 months to reach 2,000 confirmed cases, the current epidemic reached that threshold in significantly less time. Health officials warn that the outbreak is now the third-largest on record and continues to outpace containment efforts.

Transmission and Surveillance Challenges

A primary concern for health authorities is the high volume of infections occurring outside of established monitoring systems. Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, the WHO health emergencies chief, stated that approximately 80% of new cases are being detected outside of known contact lists.

“We have not caught up in the race,” Ihekweazu said, noting that many individuals are dying within their communities without ever reaching a healthcare facility. WHO officials estimate that the true scale of the epidemic may be two to four times higher than the official recorded count. Currently, about two-thirds of deaths are occurring in communities among people who never received professional medical care.

Contact tracing remains a significant hurdle, with current coverage of exposed individuals reported at 67%. Authorities have struggled to identify the outbreak’s patient zero, while widespread displacement caused by armed conflict and mining-related population movements have complicated efforts to track thousands of potential contacts.

Obstacles to Containment: Conflict and Labor Disputes

The response is being severely hampered by the complex environment in which the virus is spreading. The epicenter, Ituri province, is a mineral-rich region plagued by active armed groups. Security concerns have led to direct attacks on treatment centers, including a recent incident at a facility in the provincial capital of Bunia.

Compounding these challenges, frontline healthcare workers have initiated strikes to protest unpaid wages and inadequate working conditions. At Bunia General Hospital, staff recently obstructed the entrance to the facility, reporting that they have received no compensation since the start of the outbreak. Similar labor actions have occurred at other regional hospitals, including Rwampara General Hospital, where epidemiologists and grave diggers walked off the job.

Medical Limitations and Ongoing Research

The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, a rare variant for which there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment. Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has warned that every delay in the response costs lives, as they continue to “chase the outbreak” rather than staying ahead of it.

Efforts to bolster the medical response are underway, with laboratory capacity increasing from one to 14 facilities and treatment capacity in Bunia expanding to nearly 800 beds. On Tuesday, the WHO announced the launch of the first clinical trial to test whether an antiviral drug can prevent infection in individuals exposed to the Bundibugyo virus.

“If effective among high-risk contacts after exposure, this could mark a major step forward in Ebola BVD prevention,” Tedros said. Despite these initiatives, the virus has already spread into five DRC provinces and has reached neighboring Uganda, prompting continued concern regarding regional cross-border transmission.

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