Congo Ebola deaths climb as response strains

Congo’s Ebola outbreak has widened to 1,077 suspected cases and 246 deaths, intensifying pressure on health authorities as responders struggle to contain transmission in conflict-hit eastern provinces.

Health officials are treating the outbreak as one of the most serious Ebola emergencies faced by the Democratic Republic of the Congo in years, with cases linked to the Bundibugyo strain, a less common form of the virus for which no licensed vaccine or specific treatment is widely available. The figures mark a sharp escalation since the outbreak was declared in mid-May, when early investigations centred on Ituri province and clusters of unexplained deaths around Bunia, Rwampara and Mongbwalu.

The rise in suspected infections has heightened concern over delayed detection, weak surveillance and the difficulty of tracing people exposed to the virus. More than 1,200 contacts have been identified, but only a small fraction have been followed up, leaving gaps that could allow further chains of transmission. Health teams are also investigating suspected clusters beyond the first affected health zones, including areas connected by trade, displacement and family movements.

Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, has become a key operational centre as authorities and aid groups move to expand isolation capacity, laboratory testing and safe burial teams. A 50-bed treatment unit is being prepared to ease pressure on facilities already coping with suspected cases, while supplies of protective equipment, body bags, fuel, generators and infection-control materials remain critical to the response.

The outbreak has exposed familiar weaknesses in a region where violence, displacement and public distrust have repeatedly complicated public health campaigns. Attacks on health facilities, including damage to temporary treatment structures, have disrupted patient care and discouraged some communities from cooperating with medical teams. Several patients have reportedly left isolation facilities, underscoring the challenge of sustaining quarantine measures when fear, misinformation and insecurity collide.

Health workers are facing the added burden of operating in areas where armed groups remain active and where access can change by the day. The call for a ceasefire in affected zones reflects growing concern that containment cannot succeed without safe passage for medical staff, ambulance teams, laboratory workers and community educators. Even basic tasks such as transporting samples, tracing contacts and moving suspected patients to treatment centres can become dangerous or impossible when roads are blocked or fighting breaks out.

The regional risk has also increased after Uganda confirmed cases linked to the outbreak and moved to restrict cross-border movement with Congo. The border measures are intended to reduce transmission risk, though public health specialists warn that blanket closures can push people towards informal crossings, making screening and contact tracing harder. Uganda has experience in handling Ebola outbreaks and has already deployed surveillance and response teams, but porous borders and frequent movement of traders, families and displaced people leave little margin for delay.

Bundibugyo virus disease is one of several Ebola-related illnesses that can cause severe fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, bleeding and organ failure. Its fatality rate has varied across outbreaks, but the absence of a proven vaccine has sharpened concern among clinicians and emergency planners. Unlike the Zaire strain, which has benefited from vaccine and therapeutic breakthroughs, the current strain leaves responders more dependent on classical containment methods: early detection, isolation, safe burials, infection prevention and community trust.

Congo has recorded repeated Ebola outbreaks since the virus was first identified in 1976, including a major epidemic in the east between 2018 and 2020. That earlier crisis showed how quickly mistrust and insecurity can undermine technical capacity, particularly when communities fear treatment centres or reject official messaging. The current response is drawing on those lessons, with outreach through local leaders, religious networks and health volunteers aimed at countering rumours and encouraging people with symptoms to seek care quickly.

The strain on international support is another concern. Funding gaps and reduced emergency-health resources have slowed parts of the response at a moment when surveillance, mobile laboratories and rapid-response teams need to expand. Emergency coordinators are seeking faster deployment of supplies and personnel, while scientists assess whether experimental vaccine platforms or treatments could be adapted for Bundibugyo virus disease.

Children are among the confirmed deaths, adding urgency to infection-control measures in homes, clinics and community gathering points. Funerals remain a high-risk setting because Ebola can spread through contact with the bodies of those who have died from the disease. Safe burial teams are therefore central to containment, though they often face resistance in communities where traditional rites are deeply rooted.