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WHO Declares Ebola Emergency as DRC Death Toll Hits 139
(MENAFN) Close to 600 suspected Ebola infections and no fewer than 139 suspected fatalities have been recorded in the latest outbreak sweeping eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, the World Health Organization (WHO) disclosed Wednesday, as alarm grows over the virus's rapid trajectory.
Congolese Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba placed the confirmed suspected case count at 543, a figure experts warn is likely to climb.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus cautioned that the situation could deteriorate sharply, pointing to multiple compounding factors accelerating transmission. Chief among them: Ebola had almost certainly been "circulating for weeks" before authorities detected the outbreak — meaning the true scale of exposure remains unknown. The virus has already reached several urban centers, and healthcare workers have been counted among the dead, stoking fears of transmission within medical facilities.
The outbreak is unfolding against a backdrop of severe instability. In Ituri province — where the highest concentration of suspected deaths has occurred — more than 100,000 civilians have fled escalating violence in recent months, creating conditions in which disease containment becomes extraordinarily difficult.
"The province of Ituri is highly insecure," Ghebreyesus stated.
The M23 rebel group continues to hold territory across parts of the region, sustaining a cycle of armed conflict and humanitarian breakdown that has long plagued the country.
Adding a critical layer of danger, Ghebreyesus confirmed the outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola — a variant for which no approved vaccines or treatments currently exist. The affected zone is an active mining area, where constant population movement significantly heightens the risk of cross-regional spread.
In response, several nations have moved swiftly to erect travel barriers. The US has barred entry to non-citizens who traveled through DR Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within the preceding 21 days. Bahrain has imposed a 30-day suspension on arrivals from all three countries, and Jordan has halted entry for travelers coming from DR Congo and Uganda, according to state media.
Across the African continent, neighboring governments are also tightening defenses. Burundi, Zambia, and Tanzania have reinforced border controls, expanded surveillance, and scaled up testing capacity. Rwanda went further, temporarily sealing its border with DR Congo entirely.
DR Congo and Uganda both confirmed their first cases on May 15. On Sunday, the WHO formally declared the outbreak a global public health emergency.
Congolese Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba placed the confirmed suspected case count at 543, a figure experts warn is likely to climb.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus cautioned that the situation could deteriorate sharply, pointing to multiple compounding factors accelerating transmission. Chief among them: Ebola had almost certainly been "circulating for weeks" before authorities detected the outbreak — meaning the true scale of exposure remains unknown. The virus has already reached several urban centers, and healthcare workers have been counted among the dead, stoking fears of transmission within medical facilities.
The outbreak is unfolding against a backdrop of severe instability. In Ituri province — where the highest concentration of suspected deaths has occurred — more than 100,000 civilians have fled escalating violence in recent months, creating conditions in which disease containment becomes extraordinarily difficult.
"The province of Ituri is highly insecure," Ghebreyesus stated.
The M23 rebel group continues to hold territory across parts of the region, sustaining a cycle of armed conflict and humanitarian breakdown that has long plagued the country.
Adding a critical layer of danger, Ghebreyesus confirmed the outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola — a variant for which no approved vaccines or treatments currently exist. The affected zone is an active mining area, where constant population movement significantly heightens the risk of cross-regional spread.
In response, several nations have moved swiftly to erect travel barriers. The US has barred entry to non-citizens who traveled through DR Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within the preceding 21 days. Bahrain has imposed a 30-day suspension on arrivals from all three countries, and Jordan has halted entry for travelers coming from DR Congo and Uganda, according to state media.
Across the African continent, neighboring governments are also tightening defenses. Burundi, Zambia, and Tanzania have reinforced border controls, expanded surveillance, and scaled up testing capacity. Rwanda went further, temporarily sealing its border with DR Congo entirely.
DR Congo and Uganda both confirmed their first cases on May 15. On Sunday, the WHO formally declared the outbreak a global public health emergency.
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