{"id":582,"date":"2026-05-17T04:34:02","date_gmt":"2026-05-17T04:34:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scottsdalemovinghub.com\/?p=582"},"modified":"2026-05-17T04:34:02","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T04:34:02","slug":"congo-ebola-outbreak-declared-a-public-health-emergency-of-international-concern","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scottsdalemovinghub.com\/?p=582","title":{"rendered":"Congo Ebola outbreak declared a public health emergency of ‘international concern’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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CONGO, \u2014 At least 87 deaths have been reported in Congo’s new Ebola disease outbreak in eastern Ituri province, the Africa CDC said Saturday, warning of an “active community transmission” as health workers raced to intensify screening and contact tracing to contain the disease.<\/p>\n

Read more 2 people arrested after police find baby monkeys hidden in underwear<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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The World Health Organization said declared it a “public health emergency of international concern” Sunday.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, does not meet the criteria to be determined a pandemic emergency, but countries sharing land borders with DRC are at high risk for further spread, according to WHO.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Here’s what we know so far.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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The outbreak has spread to neighboring Uganda<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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Uganda confirmed Friday an Ebola case that authorities said was \u201cimported\u201d from Congo. The person died at the Kibuli Muslim Hospital in Uganda\u2019s capital, Kampala, on May 14.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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The World Health Organization said the outbreak now constitutes as a “public health emergency of international concern.” This strengthens international response to the spread, surveillance and response, and means people infected with, or suspected to have been in contact with the disease should not travel.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had said it is concerned about the risk of further spread due to the proximity of affected areas to Uganda and South Sudan.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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The body of the patient who died in Kampala was later taken back to Congo and no other local case has been confirmed, Uganda\u2019s Health Ministry said.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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On Saturday, people were being screened at the entrance of the Kibuli Muslim Hospital.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Ismail Kigongo, who resides in Kampala, said the new outbreak reminded him of his father, whom he lost during the COVID-19 pandemic. \u201cI really get scared because I remember burying my father without looking at his body,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Kenya, Uganda’s neighbor, said Saturday that there is only a \u201cmoderate risk of importation\u201d of the Ebola virus due to regional travel. Kenya\u2019s government said it has formed an Ebola preparedness team and has strengthened surveillance at all points of entry.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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What locals are saying<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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Meanwhile, Associated Press journalists in Ituri\u2019s capital, Bunia, interviewed locals who recounted their fears and constant burials.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cEvery day, people are dying … and this has been going on for about a week. In a single day, we bury two, three or even more people,\u201d said Jean Marc Asimwe, a resident of Bunia. \u201cAt this point, we don\u2019t really know what kind of disease it is.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Ebola is highly contagious and can be contracted through bodily fluids such as vomit, blood, or semen. The disease it causes is rare, but severe and often fatal.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Officials first announced the latest outbreak in Congo on Friday with 65 deaths and 246 suspected cases. By Saturday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported 336 suspected and 13 confirmed cases. Four people have died among the confirmed cases.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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At an online briefing on Saturday, Africa CDC Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya said the first cases were reported in Mongwalu health zone, a high-traffic mining area. \u201cCases subsequently migrated to Rwampara and Bunia as patients sought medical care, enabling spread across three health zones,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Read more Former Arizona Cardinal Josh Mauro\u2019s death ruled accidental, medical examiner says<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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A high number of active cases remain within the local community, particularly in Mongwalu, Kaseya said, \u201csignificantly complicating containment and contact tracing efforts.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Insecurity in Ituri, where Islamic State-backed militants carry out rampant deadly attacks, continues to restrict surveillance and rapid response operations, he added.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Of the 87 deaths, 57 are in the Mongwalu health zone, 27 in the Rwampara health zone and three in Bunia, Ituri’s main city.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Congolese Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba said late Friday that test results confirmed the Bundibugyo virus, a variant of the disease that has been less prominent in Congo\u2019s past outbreaks. This is Congo\u2019s 17th outbreak since Ebola first emerged in the country in 1976.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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The suspected index case in the latest outbreak is a nurse who died at a hospital in Bunia, Kamba said. He said the case dates back three weeks to April 24.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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He did not say whether samples from the nurse were tested, but said the person presented symptoms suggestive of Ebola.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Congo is a large country that often faces logistical challenges<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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Congo has experience managing Ebola outbreaks but often faces logistical challenges in delivering expertise and supplies to affected regions.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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As Africa\u2019s second-largest country by land area, Congo\u2019s provinces are far from one another and mostly battling conflict. Ituri, for instance, is around 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the nation\u2019s capital, Kinshasa, and is ravaged by violence from Islamic State-backed militants.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Only 13 blood samples have been tested at the National Institute of Biomedical Research; 8 tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain. The remaining five could not be analyzed due to insufficient sample volume, the health minister said.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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In Bunia, Ituri’s main city, businesses and regular activities in public places appeared normal on Friday.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Resident Adeline Awekonimungu said she hopes the outbreak is quickly contained. “My recommendation is that the government take this matter seriously and that it takes charge of the hospitals so that this matter can be brought under control,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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___<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Associated Press writers Chinedu Asadu in Abuja, Nigeria; Jean-Yves Kamale in Kinshasa, Congo; Patrick Onen in Kampala, Uganda; and Evelyne Musambi in Nairobi, Kenya contributed.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u2014<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find the AP\u2019s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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CONGO, \u2014 At least 87 deaths have been reported in Congo’s new Ebola disease outbreak in eastern Ituri province, the Africa CDC said Saturday, warning of an “active community transmission” as health workers raced to intensify screening and contact tracing to contain the disease. 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