A terrifying strain of Ebola has triggered a global health emergency after tearing through central Africa and spreading into major urban capitals, health officials warned Saturday.
The World Health Organization slapped a “public health emergency of international concern” label on the deadly Bundibugyo Ebolavirus outbreak following a surge of cases across the Congo, and now Uganda.
There are “significant uncertainties to the true number of infected persons and geographic spread” and a “limited understanding of the epidemiological links” between victims, according to the WHO.
The agency further warned the data “all point towards a potentially much larger outbreak than what is currently being detected and reported.”
Describing the crisis as an “extraordinary” threat, UN health chiefs sounded the alarm over unusual clusters of community deaths and four healthcare worker deaths.
The WHO is airlifting five metric tons of supplies, including infection prevention and control materials, laboratory sample transportation equipment, tents and other supplies currently available in the Congolese capital, Kinshasa, to Bunia in the Congo’s Ituri Province, where at least 80 suspected deaths and nearly 250 suspected cases have been reported across three health zones, including mining hotspots Mongbwalu and Rwampara.
Initial testing yielded a staggering positivity rate, with 8 out of 13 samples collected by the Congolese National Institute of Biomedical Research coming back positive.
Officials admitted they are flying blind against a potentially massive, hidden outbreak — and warned there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments to stop it, unlike the more common Zaire strain of Ebola.
The current outbreak does not meet the operational definition of a “pandemic emergency.” However, invisible killer has already breached major population centers.
Infected travelers have brought the virus directly into the Ugandan capital of Kampala, where two patients were rushed into intensive care.
This marks the 17th recorded outbreak of Ebola disease in the Congo since the virus was first identified. The last outbreak of Ebola disease ended in December 2025, according to the World Health Organization.
The Bundibugyo strain was first identified in Uganda in 2007, where it killed 32% of those infected.
“The Democratic Republic of the Congo has extensive experience responding to Ebola outbreaks, and WHO is rapidly scaling up support to the ongoing response,” said Dr Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa, in a statement.
“Working closely with national authorities and partners, we are mobilizing swiftly, deploying additional expertise and resources to halt the spread of the virus, protect and save lives.”
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