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Rabat – The death toll from an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has risen to at least 131 people, with 513 suspected cases reported, according to Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba.
Kamba said the figures are still estimates and that further investigations are needed to confirm whether all suspected deaths are directly linked to Ebola. He made the announcement last night on national television.
The outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, has raised serious concern among health officials due to its fast spread and limited medical options. No approved vaccine or treatment currently exists for this strain, which has contributed to the urgency of the response.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declared the outbreak a continental public health emergency on Monday. The agency warned that the risk of regional spread is high due to population movement across borders, mining activity, and weak infection control systems in affected areas near Rwanda and South Sudan.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is set to hold an emergency committee meeting on Tuesday to assess the situation. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he is “deeply concerned” by the “scale and speed” of the outbreak.
He also said the outbreak has already crossed borders into Uganda. WHO previously declared the situation a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, the second-highest alert level under international health regulations.
The outbreak began in northeastern Ituri province, a border region with Uganda and South Sudan, where mining activity and frequent movement of people have made containment difficult. Health officials also reported suspected cases in North Kivu, including the city of Butembo, located about 200 kilometers from the epicenter, as well as in Goma, a major city in eastern Congo.
Authorities said response efforts were delayed in some areas due to community fears and misinformation, with some residents initially believing the disease had a supernatural cause, leading to patients avoiding hospitals.
Germany is preparing to treat a US citizen who contracted Ebola while working in Congo, following a request from American authorities. The patient tested positive after exposure in the affected region.
Health agencies continue to warn that limited testing capacity means many figures are based on suspected cases rather than confirmed laboratory results.
