DR Congo Ebola crisis deepens as fatalities reach 131

At least 26 additional deaths have been confirmed in recent days.

KINSHASA, CONGO: The death toll from an Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has risen to 131, with health authorities reporting a rapid spread of the virus across affected regions.

According to international media reports, at least 26 additional deaths have been confirmed in recent days, underscoring growing concerns over containment efforts in the Central African nation.

World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a global health emergency, issuing an urgent alert as deaths and infections continue to rise in parts of Central and East Africa.

The WHO said the situation has raised serious international concern due to cross-border transmission, though it noted that the outbreak has not yet reached the full criteria of a global pandemic.

According to the latest figures, at least 246 suspected cases have been reported in eastern Congo’s Ituri province, with 80 deaths linked to the virus so far. Uganda has also reported a growing number of confirmed infections, raising fears of further regional spread.

Health experts said the current strain is associated with the Bundibugyo virus, a rare and severe form of Ebola for which no approved vaccine or specific treatment is currently available.

More read, WHO issues emergency alert over Ebola outbreak

Ebola is a highly infectious disease with a fatal outcome in many cases. Symptoms typically appear within 2 to 21 days after infection and may include high fever, severe muscle pain, extreme fatigue, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, and in some cases internal or external bleeding.