The World Health Organization has upgraded its assessment of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to a “very high” risk for the country, warning that the virus is spreading rapidly.
WHO officials reported nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths, a sharp rise from the 246 cases and 65 deaths recorded when the outbreak was first reported a week earlier. Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the situation as “deeply worrisome.”
Violence and mistrust are complicating the response. In Rwampara, Ituri province, tents and medical supplies outside a hospital were set on fire while health teams were establishing an Ebola treatment centre. Local residents were reported to be angry that they were not allowed to retrieve the body of a man who died at the hospital; bodies of Ebola patients must be handled and buried under strict infection-control protocols to prevent onward transmission.
Tedros and other WHO leaders said significant distrust of outside authorities among local communities is hindering efforts. “Building trust in the affected communities is critical to a successful response,” Tedros said. WHO’s representative in the DRC, Dr Anne Ancia, warned the Rwampara incident would “significantly jeopardise” operations there, though she added the treatment centre — designed to separate suspected Ebola patients from other hospital patients — might be back in service within 24 hours.
This outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there are currently no licensed vaccines or approved targeted treatments. Most cases are concentrated in Ituri province, with a small number reported elsewhere in the DRC and two cases confirmed in neighbouring Uganda.
Officials cautioned that the sharp rise in reported suspected cases could partly reflect improved detection and surveillance: more people with possible symptoms are being identified and tested, and the proportion of samples testing positive has fallen slightly. Still, Ancia said the response is “running behind” and not yet under control, though she expressed confidence that the outbreak can be contained.
While the WHO elevated the national risk to “very high,” it maintained a high risk assessment at the regional level and a low risk level globally.
Humanitarian groups working in Ituri say resources remain insufficient. Dr Amadou Bocoum, country director for Care International in the DRC, said aid cuts last year left the system short of equipment and staff, making intensive tasks like case finding and contact tracing harder. Julie Drouet, country director for Action Against Hunger, said field response teams are working rapidly but are not yet fully prepared to meet the emergency.
Researchers have also identified an antiviral drug, obeldesivir, that may be able to prevent contacts of Bundibugyo cases from developing disease, and efforts are under way to establish trials in affected areas.
WHO and partners say restoring community trust, increasing resources for surveillance and care, and launching targeted trials where feasible are urgent priorities to bring the outbreak under control.