DAKAR, Senegal — The Ebola outbreak affecting eastern Congo and Uganda has surpassed 200 deaths within its first month, marking the most severe flare‑up to date. Africa’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported up to 35,000 suspected contacts as of Thursday.
With 894 confirmed infections, the current crisis is three times larger than Uganda’s 2000 outbreak, which recorded 281 cases at a comparable stage, according to Dr. Wessam Mankoula, medical epidemiologist at Africa CDC.
The case count is believed to be underreported, as the outbreak was only confirmed on May 15, weeks after initial suspicion. Since last week, infections have risen 38%, now spreading across 32 health zones in eastern Congo, Mankoula noted.
The disease is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, for which no approved vaccine or treatment exists. In contrast, the more common Zaire strain—against which a vaccine is available—has driven Congo’s previous 16 Ebola outbreaks.
To date, 74 patients have recovered in eastern Congo and Uganda, while experimental therapies such as monoclonal antibodies are being investigated for Bundibugyo.
The outbreak is concentrated in Ituri province, accounting for over 90% of cases. Additional cases have been identified in North Kivu and South Kivu, and the virus has crossed the border into Uganda, where 19 infections and two deaths have been confirmed.
Contact tracing remains challenging due to the region’s remoteness and ongoing insecurity in Ituri, Mankoula explained.
“For the 800 confirmed cases, the contact list should include between 17,000 and 35,000 individuals,” Mankoula said. Currently, only about 4,000 contacts have been traced, representing less than 15% of the target.
“We are still far from controlling this outbreak,” he added.
Nearly one million people have been displaced by years of conflict in Ituri, according to the U.N. humanitarian office, complicating tracing efforts as residents flee attacks or move frequently through dense forests, poor roads, and remote villages that can take days to reach.
Tracing is also hindered among thousands of miners who routinely travel between isolated mining sites.
Of the more than $900 million pledged to combat the outbreak, only $90 million has been disbursed, further straining response efforts, Mankoula said.
Africa CDC estimates it requires 540 personnel for an effective response but has so far deployed only 84.
“We hope new pledges will be fast‑tracked, and we are engaging member states and partners to turn commitments into released funds for the affected countries,” Mankoula concluded.
