'Nobody Knows The True Scale': MSF Warns Ebola Outbreak In DR Congo 'Deeply Alarming'

Last Updated:May 31, 2026, 16:50 IST

So far, more than 1,000 suspected Ebola cases and at least 246 deaths have been reported in DR Congo.

The rapid spread of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo has created what medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has described as a “deeply alarming" situation, with officials warning that the true scale of the outbreak is still unknown.

The warning comes just two weeks after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak in eastern DR Congo’s Ituri province. MSF said the number of cases rising so quickly at such an early stage is unprecedented.

Outbreak spreads quickly

MSF deputy director Dr Alan Gonzales said the situation had deteriorated at a worrying pace since the declaration, BBC reported.

He noted that never before had so many cases been recorded so soon after an outbreak was confirmed, adding response efforts were struggling to keep up with the speed of transmission.

According to him, medical teams are still facing major gaps in testing and surveillance, which is slowing down containment work.

“The reality today is that nobody knows the true scale and severity of this outbreak," Gonzales said, adding that new suspected cases are being reported daily while hundreds of samples remain untested.

Global concern grows

The WHO director general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, visited Ituri province, the worst-affected region on Saturday, as international concern deepened. He said the global community was supporting Congo’s response efforts but stressed that stronger coordination, funding and community engagement were urgently needed.

So far, more than 1,000 suspected Ebola cases and at least 246 deaths have been reported in DR Congo. Neighbouring Uganda has also confirmed nine cases, including one death.

Strained health response

Health officials have warned that limited laboratory capacity, ongoing insecurity, and weak health infrastructure in the region are making the response even more difficult. Many areas affected by the outbreak are also impacted by long-standing conflict and displacement, adding further pressure on already stretched services.

The WHO has said the outbreak may be more widespread than current figures suggest, as transmission is believed to have begun before detection.

Ebola, a highly contagious haemorrhagic fever spread through bodily fluids and close contact, has killed more than 15,000 people across Africa over the past five decades.

(With inputs from agencies)

News world 'Nobody Knows The True Scale': MSF Warns Ebola Outbreak In DR Congo 'Deeply Alarming'

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