MWE Correspondent
The World Health Organization (World Health Organization) has warned that a fast-moving outbreak of Ebola is continuing to spread across parts of Central and East Africa, with officials confirming hundreds of suspected infections and a rising death toll that could still increase in the coming days.
In its latest update on Wednesday, the agency reported around 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths linked to the outbreak, stressing that the numbers remain provisional and are expected to rise as investigations continue in remote and insecure areas where transmission went undetected for weeks.
Health experts say the outbreak involves the rare Ebola virus disease strain known as Bundibugyo Ebola, which is believed to have circulated silently before being officially detected in affected regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
A meeting of the WHO Emergency Committee in Geneva confirmed the outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, although it stopped short of declaring it a global pandemic emergency. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the decision reflected the seriousness of the situation at regional level, while the global risk remains comparatively low.
“The WHO assess the risk of the epidemic as high at the national and regional levels and low at the global level,” Tedros said, underscoring the need for urgent containment efforts before wider spread becomes possible.
He also revealed that the emergency declaration was issued earlier than usual, without the standard prior consultation with experts, citing the urgent and rapidly evolving nature of the outbreak.
“Our absolute priority now is to identify all the existing chains of transmission… that will then enable us to really define the scale of the outbreak and be able to provide care,” said Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu during the briefing in Geneva.
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The outbreak has particularly alarmed health authorities because it appears to have spread undetected for weeks in densely populated areas already affected by armed violence and limited access to healthcare services. Humanitarian workers warn that insecurity has made it difficult to trace contacts, isolate patients, and deliver medical support in time.
The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with infected bodily fluids from humans or animals and has an average fatality rate of about 40 percent, according to the WHO. While not the deadliest strain, its rapid spread in unstable regions has raised fears of further escalation if containment measures fail.
Experts also point to past tragedies in the region, including the 2018–2020 Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo, which was the second deadliest on record and claimed nearly 2,300 lives. That outbreak highlighted how conflict, mistrust of health workers, and weak infrastructure can fuel prolonged transmission even when medical tools are available.
A “super-spreader” event is now suspected, though investigations are still ongoing. Health teams are working to map transmission chains, strengthen surveillance systems, and expand treatment capacity in affected zones.
The WHO says its immediate priority is to locate all active transmission routes and stop further spread before the outbreak grows beyond control. Emergency response teams, in coordination with national authorities and international partners, are now racing to contain what officials describe as a highly fragile and evolving situation.
As surveillance intensifies across the region, global health authorities continue to monitor the outbreak closely, warning that early containment will be critical in preventing a wider humanitarian and health crisis.
