Africa Races to Contain Fast-Spreading Ebola Outbreak Threatening 10 Countries

Here's a story that's been flying under the radar for a lot of people outside Africa — but it's one worth paying attention to, especially if you've been following global health news since COVID.

A fast-moving Ebola outbreak is tearing through eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and it's already crossed borders. Health workers in the DRC are scrambling to contain an outbreak of Ebola virus, which is suspected to have killed more than 200 people and risks spreading across international borders. Congo has reported 101 confirmed Ebola infections, 930 suspected cases and 221 suspected deaths according to health ministry data released late Monday.

Here's what makes this one especially tricky: it's not the strain most people know about. Delays in identifying the outbreak were caused in part by the rarer species of the virus circulating. Congo has had 17 official Ebola outbreaks since 1976, with the majority caused by the Zaire species — for which there is a vaccine. But the latest outbreak is caused by a much less-studied species named Bundibugyo. In plain terms: the tests they normally use didn't catch it right away, and there's no approved vaccine or treatment for this version.

Ebola was likely spreading for weeks — if not months — before health authorities noticed it. That late diagnosis and the now-unknown number of people who are infected will severely complicate the response. The first known case was a nurse who presented symptoms on April 24 in the city of Bunia in Ituri province. The nurse was buried in the gold-mining town of Mongbwalu, which had seen a spate of unexplained deaths throughout April, including four health workers who died in a single week.

The outbreak has since spilled into neighboring Uganda. Uganda has confirmed three new cases of Ebola, bringing the total number of infections in the country to five. And the WHO isn't taking it lightly — the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a "public health emergency of international concern" after more than 300 suspected cases and 88 deaths were reported. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has placed 10 African countries on high alert: South Sudan, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, the Republic of Congo, Burundi, Angola, the Central African Republic and Zambia.

But here's where things get really complicated: the communities at the center of this outbreak don't fully trust the people trying to help them. A tent provided by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) at a hospital in Mongbwalu was set on fire. A tent used for Ebola treatment was set on fire for the second time in a single week, and 18 people suspected of infection escaped. Why is this happening? Health workers in Ebola-hit areas of eastern DRC have repeatedly faced resistance from communities over strict burial protocols. Aid agencies say the tensions are often driven by fear, rumors, and mistrust of medical teams. "Some people here believe that Ebola is a business," said one local resident. "When healthcare providers refuse to hand over the bodies of those who have died from Ebola, people think they might be trafficking their organs."

On top of that, the region is a war zone. Ituri, the epicenter of the outbreak, suffers regular massacres committed by notorious armed groups such as the Codeco and the Islamic State-aligned ADF. Both outbreak hotspots — Mongbwalu and Rwampara — are rough mining towns where tens of thousands of people survive by digging for gold with crude tools. Living and working conditions for most people are cramped and unsanitary.

Meanwhile, ALIMA said resources for detecting, treating and preventing Ebola remain severely inadequate and called for more international support. A senior Congolese official involved in the response said treatment centers were overwhelmed.

The global risk? Low, for now. The risk outside the region — to the U.S., for instance — is low. Ebola doesn't spread like an airborne disease like COVID, so it's likely not a pandemic risk. But that doesn't mean the world can look away — because the longer it burns unchecked, the harder it becomes to contain.