WHO declares Ebola outbreak an emergency

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:00]An outbreak of Ebola in Democratic Republic of Congo has alarmed experts with its [music] late detection and quick spread. So, what do we know about this strain of the disease which has no vaccine?

[00:00:13]Ebola is a severe and often fatal virus that causes fever, body aches, vomiting, and diarrhea. It spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected persons or contaminated materials.

[00:00:28]According to the World Health Organization, the average fatality rate is around 50% varying from 25% to 90% in past outbreaks. This is Congo's 17th outbreak since the disease was first discovered in 1976.

[00:00:46]All but one of the previous outbreaks was the more common Zaire strain.

[00:00:51]This time, however, is the Bundibugyo strain and that delayed detection of this outbreak, says Jean-Jacques Muyembe Tamfum.

[00:01:03]The risk is very high that the next pandemic will start from the DRC.

[00:01:11]Our system is very weak at detecting an outbreak.

[00:01:15]He was one of the co-discoverers of the disease half a century ago and is now director general of Congo's National Institute for Biomedical Research.

[00:01:30]They used the techniques we had used for the 2018 outbreak.

[00:01:35]And for that, we used a device called the GeneXpert with specific cartridges for Ebola Zaire.

[00:01:41]And so, these Ebola Zaire cartridges did not recognize Ebola Bundibugyo.

[00:01:51]The Bundibugyo strain has no approved virus-specific therapeutics or vaccine.

[00:01:57]On Sunday, the World Health Organization declared this outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.

[00:02:05]That's because of the high risk the disease could spread further beyond Congo's borders.

[00:02:10]The outbreak is centered on the Ituri province of conflict-hit Eastern Congo and is suspected to have already killed dozens of people.

[00:02:20]Cases have been confirmed in Kampala, the capital of neighboring Uganda.