WHO: More than 900 suspected cases of Ebola have been identified in DR Congo

More than 900 suspected cases of Ebola, including 101 confirmed cases, have been identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo, said the director-general of the WHO (World Health Organization), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, this Sunday (24).

As surveillance efforts have been scaled up in the #DRC #Ebola response, more than 900 suspected cases have been identified so far, including 101 confirmed cases.

In Ituri province, the epicenter of the outbreak, nearly 5 million people live amid ongoing conflict. Today, 1 in 4... pic.twitter.com/hgIydPGZxD

- Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) May 24, 2026

What explains the country's outbreak of the disease?
In rural areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a deadly strain of the Ebola virus has devastated local communities, causing more than 100 deaths and triggering a global health emergency.

The virus was first discovered in the country in 1976 and remains a constant threat. The Central African country has recorded 17 outbreaks, more than any other in the world - and a serious outbreak between 2018 and 2020 left 2,299 dead.

Ebola - an often fatal virus that causes severe symptoms including high fever and internal and external bleeding - originates in wild animals.

It is transmitted to humans through close contact with the blood or bodily fluids of infected wild animals, such as fruit bats, porcupines and non-human primates such as monkeys, according to the WHO.

Once the virus enters a community, it spreads quickly between people through direct contact with bodily fluids or contaminated surfaces.

The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, a rare form of the Ebola virus. Unlike the more common Zaire strain, the Bundibugyo variant currently has no approved vaccines or treatments.

Scientists believe that humans first contracted Ebola by hunting, handling or eating infected wild animals. This type of food - particularly bats, monkeys, voles and antelope - remains popular in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, just one reason why Ebola remains a danger today.

Recurrent outbreaks in DR Congo are linked to its geography. Vast, dense forests cover more than 60% of the country's territory (more than 150 million hectares), serving as a natural breeding ground for Ebola.

For many rural residents of the Congo Basin - the world's second largest rainforest - where bushmeat represents up to 80% of local protein intake, hunting wild animals is a matter of survival, not preference.

However, this vital food source serves as the main gateway for the transmission of deadly viruses from animals to humans, according to Eteni Longondo, the country's former Minister of Public Health.

Longondo told CNN that regulating hunting in the country's dense forests and preventing communities from consuming wild animals, particularly carcasses, remains a significant challenge for health authorities.

"It all starts in the forest, and we have no control over it," he said, noting that traditional hunting habits cannot be changed overnight.

"You can't just tell people to abandon their culture and they stop immediately. They continue to eat bushmeat because they have no other alternative," he explained.

DR Congo is rich in minerals, but more than 80% of its 100 million inhabitants live in extreme poverty.

The situation is particularly serious in the east, where an active armed rebellion has allowed a powerful rebel coalition to take control of vast territories, displacing millions of people and plunging the region into a serious food crisis.

This Thursday (21), the rebels confirmed a case of Ebola in Bukavu, a city under their control in South Kivu province. They reported that the patient, a 28-year-old man, had died and was safely buried. In addition, the rebels announced the identification of a separate case of Ebola in Goma, the largest city in the east of the country, also under their control.

(With information from Nimi Princewill, CNN)

What we know about the Ebola outbreak that the WHO has declared a global emergency

Source: CNN