WHO warns of growing Ebola threat in Central Africa

The number of deaths caused by Ebola virus in Democratic Republic of Congo has risen to 131 while 513 suspected cases have been reported so far

GENEVA:(UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-May 19th, 2026) Director-General of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has expressed serious concern over the rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak in Central Africa, warning that the situation poses a significant global health threat.

The international media reported that the number of deaths caused by the Ebola virus in Democratic Republic of the Congo has risen to 131, while 513 suspected cases have been reported so far. Authorities in neighbouring Uganda have also confirmed one fatality linked to the virus.

Congo’s health minister said the current death toll is based on preliminary estimates and investigations are still underway to determine whether all reported deaths were directly caused by Ebola.

Health officials and researchers have reported the emergence of a new strain of the virus, for which no fully effective vaccine or complete treatment is currently available.

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Over the past five decades, Ebola outbreaks across Africa have claimed more than 15,000 lives.

The epicentre of the current outbreak has been identified as Congo’s northeastern Ituri province, located near the borders of South Sudan and Uganda. Experts say the movement of people across borders and activities around gold mining areas are contributing to the rapid spread of the virus to nearby regions.

Addressing the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the pace and scale of the outbreak as deeply alarming and called for urgent international cooperation to contain the disease.

Meanwhile, Germany announced that an American citizen infected with Ebola in Congo would be transferred there for medical treatment. US officials said the individual contracted the virus while working in Congo.