The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has risen sharply to an estimated 131 deaths from 513 suspected cases, prompting the World Health Organization to convene an emergency committee meeting on Tuesday.
The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, has already spread into Uganda and neighbouring provinces within the DRC, raising fears of a broader regional health crisis.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was “deeply concerned about the scale and speed of the epidemic” after declaring the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on Sunday.
Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba cautioned that the death toll remained an estimate pending further laboratory confirmation.
The outbreak’s epicentre is located in Ituri province near the borders with Uganda and South Sudan, an area marked by intense cross-border movement linked to gold-mining activity.
Authorities said the virus has spread as far as 200 kilometres from the identified ground zero, with suspected cases reported in North Kivu province and another confirmed in the city of Goma.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention declared the outbreak a Continental Public Health Emergency, citing risks posed by regional mobility, insecurity, and weak infection control systems.
The US State Department issued its highest travel advisory level for the DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan, while urging citizens to reconsider travel to Rwanda.
Kamba said delayed community reporting had complicated containment efforts, with some residents initially believing the illness was linked to mystical causes rather than a viral disease.
No approved vaccine or treatment currently exists for the Bundibugyo strain, which has a fatality rate of up to 50 percent.
WHO officials and international experts are expected to discuss potential vaccine options during the emergency committee meeting in Geneva.
A vaccine known as Ervebo, developed for the Zaire strain of Ebola, has shown limited protective evidence against Bundibugyo in animal studies.
The WHO said additional medical supplies, including protective equipment for frontline workers, were being delivered to affected regions in the DRC.
Germany also confirmed preparations to admit and treat a US citizen who contracted Ebola while working in the DRC.