Overview
- WHO declared the event a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on Sunday, May 17, while assessing the global risk as low and the national and regional risk as high.
- WHO figures now show hundreds of confirmed and suspected infections with rising suspected deaths, with reports around 750 cases and 177 deaths as agencies warn the true scale is likely larger.
- The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo Ebola variant for which no approved vaccines or specific treatments exist and experts say the most promising candidate could take six to nine months to produce usable doses.
- Response work is hampered by violence, large displaced populations and limited laboratory capacity in eastern DRC, and frontline clinics are reporting severe overcrowding and supply shortfalls.
- Countries and agencies have introduced targeted travel and border measures, WHO has deployed teams and released emergency funds, and officials say the near-term priorities are contact tracing, testing expansion and protecting health workers.