WHO: Congo Ebola outbreak may be far larger than reported

July 11, 2026 / 1:42 PM

Sharjah 24 – WAM: The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the actual scale of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo could be between two and four times greater than official figures indicate, citing difficulties in tracing chains of transmission.

Chikwe Ihekweazu, Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, said around 80 percent of new infections cannot be linked to known cases, indicating widespread community transmission of the virus, particularly in Ituri Province.

According to government data, the outbreak has so far resulted in 1,792 confirmed cases, including 625 deaths. Around 90 percent of all reported cases remain concentrated in Ituri Province, with the outbreak also extending to the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Tshopo.

Ihekweazu added that test results in the city of Bunia have shown persistently high positivity rates, reflecting continued transmission of the virus despite progress in containing the outbreak in some other areas.