Ebola Outbreak Kills 131 in DRC

(MENAFN) At least 131 suspected fatalities and 513 probable infections have been recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's latest Ebola outbreak, DRC Health Minister Roger Kamba disclosed Tuesday during a special briefing in Kinshasa following his return from the affected region.

Kamba urged caution over the death toll, stressing that not every fatality has been conclusively attributed to the virus.

"These are suspected deaths, and investigations are underway to determine which are actually linked to the disease," he said.

Congolese health authorities formally declared the outbreak — the country's 17th since 1976 — on May 15 in the eastern province of Ituri. Infections have since spread to the neighboring North Kivu province. The strain driving the current crisis is the Bundibugyo variant of the Ebola virus, considered significantly less lethal than the Zaire strain. Kamba noted the DRC carries deep institutional experience managing Ebola responses.

The crisis has already crossed international borders. Two confirmed cases were logged in Kampala, Uganda, on May 15 and 16 in individuals who had recently traveled from the DRC. Both patients were admitted to intensive care units in the Ugandan capital, the World Health Organization confirmed Sunday — the same day it elevated the outbreak to a public health emergency of international concern.

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention followed Monday by declaring the situation a public health emergency of continental security.

Neighboring nations — including Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania — have responded by intensifying border screenings, surveillance operations, and emergency readiness protocols.

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