Ebola cases rapidly rise in DRC with 10 more countries at high risk

Added: 2026-05-24

[00:00:02]An ambulance flanked by armed guards.

[00:00:05]Inside, the body of a victim suspected of dying from Ebola.

[00:00:11]This is how burials have to be carried out in Bunia, which is in Ituri province, the epicenter of the current outbreak.

[00:00:19]Heightened security at a time of grief, essential to stop the usual funeral customs and keep the peace.

[00:00:28]Arriving at the health care structure, we experienced a lot of difficulties, including resistance from young people in the community. So, we were forced to alert the authorities so that they could come to our aid just for safety.

[00:00:40]Violence has broken out in this town in recent days. People stormed the hospital and fire engulfed the isolation ward as they tried to take the body of a suspected Ebola victim and give them the burial they would usually have.

[00:00:56]An Ebola patient is less dangerous than a person who has died from Ebola because the Ebola virus is a living virus. When someone is ill, the virus lives inside them. But when there is a death, the inner cells, the cells that die, bring the virus back to the surface where it remains on the periphery. That means that anyone who touches body is inevitably contaminated.

[00:01:19]The World Health Organization has raised the risk of Ebola to very high in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

[00:01:25]Epidemiologists are alarmed by the rapid rise.

[00:01:29]Take a look at this line that's almost vertical. This is what has scientists concerned. An estimate of the number of cases for the current outbreak in the DRC. The other lines show the first 100 days of previous outbreaks. So, by comparison, you can see this one is sharply ahead.

[00:01:47]The deadliest outbreak, which lasted 2 years, killed more than 11,000 people.

[00:01:54]Dr. Ruth McCabe has been modeling cases up to twice a day. The most notable thing about this outbreak is the size that it had gotten to before it had been detected. That's really what's quite unusual. It is likely that the outbreak is larger than what is being reported just now just because of those factors.

[00:02:13]So even larger than the 800? Indeed.

[00:02:16]Indeed. Our modeling suggests it could be above 1,000 cases just now. But unfortunately at this current moment we can't actually rule out even as many as 2,000 cases.

[00:02:27]So the 30° C in Ituri province where these healthcare workers are getting ready for more Ebola patients. The African Center for Disease Control has warned that 10 more countries in the region are at high risk.

[00:02:40]Countries around the world are continuing to clamp down too. The US warned DRC footballers traveling in for the World Cup they have to isolate for 21 days. As the world tries to get a grip on an outbreak which has shown an alarming trajectory.

[00:02:56]Well earlier I spoke to Dr. E. Robinson an epidemiologist working with Medecins Sans Frontieres from Goma in Eastern DRC. I asked her about the pressures healthcare workers are facing on the ground and how this outbreak compares to previous outbreaks.

[00:03:12]Working in Ebola center is always going to be difficult. It requires really strict infection prevention control procedures. And people have seen the pictures of the the staff walking to the house.

[00:03:24]It's It's quite a warm here so when you have all that PPE on it it's it's very difficult.

[00:03:34]So it's a very difficult situation for them. It is already a big outbreak compared to other outbreaks. It's likely really underestimated at this stage and because there are difficulties in testing for us.

[00:03:47]So I think we are preparing for a large scale outbreak. And a large scale outbreak in the DRC, how much more complicated is that by the fractured nature of what's going on politically, also a lot of people who are displaced?

[00:04:04]What does that look like? It's almost like a perfect storm almost, isn't it?

[00:04:07]This is like a crisis on top of multiple other crises. Where I work in North Kivu, we've already been dealing with a large measles outbreak, cholera outbreaks, there's high rates of malnutrition, malaria is really common.

[00:04:20]Um so adding all that on top of this um just makes the situation really difficult. Um it's also really important that while a lot of focus is going to be on the Ebola disease outbreak, we can't forget these other needs. We have seen um that communities have set on fire healthcare facilities. What does that say about how the community feel about this Ebola outbreak?

[00:04:47]>> So I'm aware of two incidences in um Ituri province. Um I think it's a sign that the community are scared and I think that's completely understandable.

[00:04:57]Ebola is controlled by working with and in the community, so you really need to um engage with the community and gain their trust so that you can undertake all the control measures that are needed. If you don't get the community's trust, what could happen? It's becomes really difficult to do those activities that are needed to to um control the outbreak, like contact tracing, like investigating any suspect cases. Um if communities don't let you into their into their towns and villages, you just can't do those activities. Do you believe that there's enough being put into the community to stop the outbreak?

[00:05:35]So MSF is really mobilizing um all its resources um to Ituri, where it's current epicenter, and also um North and South Kivu, where we expect further cases. Um we're working alongside the health authorities and they really have a lot of experience. This is the 17th Ebola outbreak in the DRC, so the health authorities here really are the experts, but the scale of this already and the scale to come is beyond their ability to deal with it themselves, so they will really need support.

[00:06:08]And just finally, Dr. Robinson, how worried are you about this outbreak?

[00:06:13]So, I'm I'm worried for Ebola itself and I'm also worried for the underlying humanitarian situation in the area because the needs were already huge um and as all the focus goes towards Ebola, I'm worried that um the the other things will fall off the radar. Dr. Robinson, thank you very much indeed for your time. Thank you.

[00:06:35]Thanks.