At least 246 suspected cases and 80 deaths have been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo's latest Ebola outbreak, with health officials warning that no vaccine exists for the highly lethal strain responsible.
Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba confirmed the figures at a press briefing in Kinshasa on Saturday, marking a sharp increase from 65 deaths reported the previous day. The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain, first identified in 2007, for which no preventive measures are currently available.
"The Bundibugyo strain has no vaccine, no specific treatment," Kamba said. "This strain has a very high lethality rate which can reach 50 percent."
The outbreak, confirmed Friday by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, is concentrated in Ituri province in northeastern DRC, which borders Uganda and South Sudan. Patient zero was identified as a nurse who reported to a health facility in the provincial capital Bunia on April 24 with symptoms suggesting Ebola.
The disease has spread across three health zones in Ituri, including Bunia, Rwampara, and Mongwalu. Only 13 blood samples have been tested at the National Institute of Biomedical Research, with eight confirming the Bundibugyo strain. The remaining five samples could not be analyzed due to insufficient volume.
Cross-border spread has already been confirmed, with one death reported in neighboring Uganda — a 59-year-old DR Congo national who died in Kampala after being admitted earlier in the week. His body was repatriated the same day, and tests confirmed infection with the Bundibugyo strain.
The Africa CDC has raised concerns about rapid transmission due to several factors: high population density in affected towns, proximity to international borders, and significant cross-border population movements in the region. The agency warned of logistical challenges in containing further spread.
Jay Bhattacharya, acting director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, described the situation as "a large outbreak." The World Health Organization expressed concern about transmission scale, stating there is "concern about the scale of transmission in affected communities" given the uncertainties and severity of the illness.
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This marks the 17th Ebola outbreak to hit DR Congo. The previous outbreak occurred in August in the central region, killing at least 34 people before being declared eradicated in December. The deadliest outbreak in the country occurred between 2018 and 2020, claiming nearly 2,300 lives.
Unlike the more common Zaire strain, identified in 1976, vaccines are only available for that variant. The Zaire strain has a higher fatality rate of 60-90 percent, while the current Bundibugyo strain can reach 50 percent lethality without treatment.
Medical aid organizations are mobilizing response efforts. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) have deployed to the affected areas.
"The number of cases and deaths we are seeing in such a short timeframe, combined with the spread across several health zones and now across the border, is extremely concerning," said Trish Newport, MSF emergency programme manager.
Jagan Chapagain, secretary-general of the IFRC, emphasized the need for coordinated action: "The evolving epidemiological situation, and the risk of cross‑border spread, underscore the need for timely, coordinated and sustained action. Engaging with communities and building trust is essential to ensure people seek care early and help stop the epidemic in its tracks."
Ebola, believed to have originated in bats, is a deadly viral disease that spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids. Symptoms include fever, hemorrhaging, and vomiting. The virus has an incubation period of up to 21 days, and infected individuals become contagious only once symptoms appear.
According to the World Health Organization, Ebola outbreaks over the past half century have seen mortality rates ranging from 25 percent to as high as 90 percent among those affected. Tens of thousands of people across Africa have contracted Ebola since it was first identified 50 years ago, with approximately 15,000 deaths recorded.
