The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is spreading faster than any previous outbreak of the deadly disease, with more than 2,000 confirmed cases and 796 deaths recorded within just two months.
Speaking during a press briefing, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the outbreak as the third-largest Ebola epidemic on record, noting that its rapid spread has raised serious global health concerns.
According to Tedros, the current outbreak surpassed 2,000 confirmed cases within two months, compared to the country’s 2018–2020 Ebola outbreak, which took more than 10 months to reach the same milestone.
“In the past month, it has expanded faster than any previous outbreak,” he said.
The Democratic Republic of Congo declared its 17th Ebola outbreak on May 15 following a series of deaths in the northeastern province of Ituri, a region plagued by years of armed conflict. Since then, confirmed infections have spread to five provinces in the country, while cases have also been reported in neighbouring Uganda.
Health authorities said the outbreak is being driven by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, a rare variant for which there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment.
Despite intensified response efforts, the WHO warned that significant gaps remain in surveillance and case detection.
Tedros revealed that more than 80 percent of newly confirmed cases are being identified outside existing contact-tracing lists, indicating that many transmission chains remain undetected.
“More than 80% of new cases are being detected outside known contact lists, showing that transmission chains are still being missed,” he said.
He added that delayed access to medical care continues to contribute to the high fatality rate, noting that nearly two-thirds of recorded deaths occurred in communities where victims never reached a healthcare facility.
The WHO chief also identified insecurity as one of the greatest obstacles to containing the outbreak, saying ongoing armed conflict in the affected areas has severely disrupted response efforts.
He further disclosed that an Ebola treatment centre in Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province, was attacked on Wednesday, raising fresh concerns about the safety of healthcare workers and the continuity of emergency operations.
Ebola is a highly infectious viral disease transmitted through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected persons or contaminated materials. Symptoms include fever, severe weakness, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, internal and external bleeding. Health experts warn that the disease can be fatal if prompt medical treatment is not received.