Líderes global health companies assess whether medicines and vaccines in development can slow the progress of Ebola in República Democrática of Congo. The general director of Organização Mundial of Saúde, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, declared that he is deeply concerned about the speed and scale of the outbreak which has already accumulated at least 500 suspected cases and 130 deaths since the beginning of the crisis.
The numbers increased significantly in just four days. On the Friday before the official announcement, there were around 200 cases and 65 deaths recorded. The increase reveals the acceleration of the spread of the Bundibugyo virus, a strain that does not have a vaccine or treatment approved by international health authorities.
Virus Genoma Suggests Possible Control
Cientistas of República Democrática of Congo and Uganda published the virus genome on Monday night, offering critical clues about the origin of the outbreak. Especialistas who examined the genetic data indicate that the episode was triggered by a single animal-to-human contagion event, not by repeated transmissions from different sources. Essa conclusion offers hope for containment.
David Matthews, Universidade Professor of Virology at Bristol, explained the importance of the finding: “This suggests that this outbreak can potentially be tracked and stopped, as has happened in the past. Repeated independent Transmissões from an animal source would complicate efforts to contain the outbreak.”
The Bundibugyo strain, responsible for the current outbreak, is distinct from the Zaire strain, for which vaccines are available. A campaign carried out in 2023 in República Democrática of Congo vaccinated approximately 55 thousand healthcare professionals in the provinces of Ituri and Kivu of Norte against the Zaire strain. However, experts assess that these vaccines cannot be used in the current response.
Contexto war complicates response
Ituri province, where most cases have been reported, faces intensified armed conflict. Fighting has intensified since the end of 2025, resulting in the deaths of civilians and the forced displacement of more than 100,000 people. Essa instability makes the humanitarian response extremely complex and limits access to basic health care.
Dr. Mesfin Teklu Tessema, senior director of health for Comitê Internacional of Resgate, said he expected the currently known cases to be “the tip of the iceberg.” Ele warned that spread across the porous border to Sudão from Sul was “a matter of time” and that the fragile public health infrastructure in that country meant being “pretty much in the dark.”
The IRC documented a serious lack of basic protective equipment for healthcare professionals caring for patients in the area. Luvas, masks and protective glasses are insufficient. Tessema highlighted that the mortality rate of the Bundibugyo strain varies between 30% and 50% when medical care is available. Quando there is no access to treatment, the risk of death increases even further.
Vacinas candidates under analysis
The WHO is convening a technical group to advise on what tests, vaccines and treatments could be useful in combating the outbreak. Anne Ancia, WHO representative at República Democrática of Congo, stated that the international assessment is ongoing.
“Internationally, [we are] looking at what candidate vaccines or treatments are available and whether any of them might be useful in this outbreak,” Ancia said during Saúde’s Assembleia Mundial on Genebra. Ela also projected that controlling the outbreak would take a long time, citing the recent Ebola outbreak that took two years to control, leaving nearly 2,300 dead between 2018 and 2020.
Ancia reported that the WHO had already sent more than 40 experts to the field, along with national response teams. The agency also shipped 12 tons of supplies, including personal protective equipment to frontline healthcare workers, from the capital Kinshasa and from Nairóbi on Quênia.
International Restrições and prevention measures
Cross-border spread has already begun. A US citizen tested positive and was transferred to Alemanha. Trinta cases were confirmed by laboratory testing in Ituri, in addition to one case in Kampala, Uganda. Essas confirmations have led some countries to implement travel restrictions.
Os Estados Unidos banned entry to travelers from the affected region. Ruanda closed its borders with Congo’s República Democrática. No Uganda, people were advised to avoid hugging and holding hands. Mártires’s Uganda’s annual Dia celebrations on June 3, which normally bring together millions of people, have been cancelled.
The WHO recommends screening at border crossings with the DRC and Uganda, but urged other countries not to impose blanket restrictions on travel and trade. The body warned that very severe measures could harm the response to the crisis.
Compromised Health Infraestrutura
Dra. Maria Guevara, Médicos Sem Fronteiras’s international medical secretary who worked in the DRC, described the collapse of the healthcare system. “The fact is that the system is broken and the community cannot access any type of medical assistance,” he stated during an event in Genebra organized by Painel Independente about Preparação and Resposta to Pandemias.
Ela pointed out that the conflict has made routine immunization extremely difficult and that Congo’s República Democrática faced severe cholera outbreaks just last year. Profissionais healthcare providers in the region are overwhelmed with multiple crises simultaneously:
- Surtos of anger
- Elevated maternal Mortalidade
- Endemic Malária
- Agora, Ebola with high mortality rate
Essa crisis convergence makes effective communication about safety protocols extremely challenging for local communities.
International Emergency Classificação
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern (ESPII) in the early hours of Sunday morning. Ele emphasized the unprecedented nature of his decision. “This is the first time that a director general has declared a Emergência of Saúde Pública of Âmbito Internacional before convening an emergency committee. Não I took this decision lightly,” he said.
The director general identified multiple aggravating factors: the presence of cases in urban areas where the virus spreads more easily, infections among healthcare professionals indicating spread in clinics and hospitals, and significant population movement due to both work and armed conflict.
Este is the 17th Ebola outbreak documented in República Democrática from Congo since the discovery of the virus.
