The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has taken a deadly new turn, with health officials confirming that more than 200 people have now died as fears mount over the virus spreading across borders in East and Central Africa.
Authorities in Congo said at least 204 deaths had been recorded from 867 suspected cases across three affected provinces. The latest figures mark a sharp increase in recent weeks and have placed neighbouring countries on high alert.
The outbreak is linked to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, a rarer form of the virus for which there is currently no approved vaccine. Health workers on the ground say the situation has become increasingly difficult as hospitals struggle with limited resources and growing numbers of patients.
In neighbouring Uganda, officials confirmed three additional infections over the weekend, bringing the country’s total confirmed cases to five. One person has died there so far, according to the Ministry of Health.
Public health experts fear the movement of people across porous borders could make containment harder. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention warned that at least 10 countries, including Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Sudan and Zambia, face an elevated risk of exposure.
“This outbreak is no longer a local issue,” Africa CDC director-general Jean Kaseya said during a briefing. “The level of movement within the region means every country must remain vigilant.”
The World Health Organization has since raised Congo’s national Ebola risk level to “very high” and declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. WHO officials say insecurity in eastern Congo, where armed groups remain active, is complicating efforts to trace contacts and isolate cases quickly.
Aid organisations working in affected communities described scenes of overcrowded clinics and exhausted medical staff. In some rural areas, mistrust of government authorities and misinformation about the virus have also slowed response efforts.
Ebola, which spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected people, causes symptoms including fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and internal bleeding. Past outbreaks in Central and West Africa have killed thousands and exposed weaknesses in regional health systems.
Still, officials insist lessons learned from previous epidemics could help prevent a wider catastrophe. Screening at border points has intensified, while neighbouring governments have begun preparing emergency response teams and isolation facilities.
For many families in eastern Congo, however, the crisis is already deeply personal. Communities that have endured years of conflict and displacement are now confronting another emergency one that health workers warn could worsen if containment efforts fail in the coming weeks.
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