Written By: Satata Karmakar | Published : May 20, 2026 7:56 AM IST
Is another pandemic loading? DRC Congo has reported a total of 134 deaths due to Ebola and a total of 550 infected cases.
Ebola outbreak in Congo turns deadly as officials confirm that a total of 134 deaths have been reported, and at least 550 cases are still under surveillance. Signalling a possible lethal and super-fast spreading virus outbreak, the World Health Organisation (WHO) chief, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said there had been at least 534 suspected cases of Ebola and 134 suspected deaths in DRC since the new outbreak began, up from about 200 cases and 65 deaths when it was announced on Friday.
Speaking to the media, Dr Tedros said, "Ebola is a very deadly disease - this strain has a mortality rate between 30% and 50%. That is with availability of care. When care is not available, when people are arriving late, that risk of mortality could be higher than that."
The world faced one of the worst viral outbreaks in 2019, when SARS-CoV-2, causing COVID-19, was first reported from China's Wuhan. The virus triggered the scariest pandemic, leaving millions infected and dead. However, before COVID struck the world, there was another virus that had more concerning features and considerably more lethal for humans - that's Ebola.
The Ebola virus was first identified in 1976 when it led to two major outbreaks: one outbreak was of Sudan virus disease in Nzara in what is now South Sudan, and the other outbreak was of Ebola virus disease in Yambuku, in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to the WHO, the Ebola disease first occurred in a village near the Ebola River, from which the disease takes its name.
Scientifically, the virus belongs to the Orthoebolavirus genus of the filoviridae family.
Do we have vaccines for the new strain? According to the experts, the Bundibugyo virus (the currently dominant strain of the Ebola virus) has no approved medicines or vaccines.
Takign cognizance of the deteriorating situation, the WHO has declared the Ebola outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, requiring a coordinated response. Resources were being rushed to two affected provinces near Uganda. Parts of eastern Congo are in the hands of armed rebels.
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