The World Health Organization has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighbouring Uganda a public health emergency of international concern after more than 300 suspected cases and dozens of deaths were reported across the region.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the outbreak does not meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency but warned that neighbouring countries face a high risk of further spread.
Health authorities said the outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus disease, a rare strain of Ebola for which there are no approved vaccines or therapeutics.
The WHO said there are significant uncertainties surrounding the true number of infections and the geographic spread of the outbreak.
Most suspected cases have been reported in eastern DR Congo’s Ituri province, particularly in Bunia, Mongwalu and Rwampara.
The WHO said the Democratic Republic of the Congo accounts for nearly all reported cases, while Uganda has confirmed two imported infections linked to travellers arriving from DR Congo.
Ugandan authorities said one infected patient, a 59-year-old Congolese citizen, died in Kampala before the body was returned to DR Congo.
Another confirmed case was also reported in Kampala, though officials said the two infections did not appear connected.
The WHO additionally confirmed one case in Kinshasa involving a patient returning from Ituri province.
The agency warned that high population mobility, mining activity and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in eastern DR Congo increase the likelihood of wider regional transmission.
The WHO urged DR Congo and Uganda to activate emergency operation centres, strengthen surveillance systems and expand infection-prevention measures.
It advised immediate isolation and treatment of confirmed patients until repeated Bundibugyo virus tests return negative results.
The agency also recommended cross-border screening and enhanced monitoring along major transport routes.
Despite the escalating outbreak, the WHO said countries should not close borders or impose travel or trade restrictions, warning that such measures could force unmonitored crossings and complicate containment efforts.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids, contaminated materials or infected individuals, causing symptoms including fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and severe bleeding.