Ebola outbreak kills more than 40 in Congo and Uganda

More than 40 people have died in an Ebola outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, according to government and international health officials tracking the disease.

The outbreak has strained response efforts in both countries. Government agencies and international aid organizations are working to slow transmission as cases continue to emerge in border areas.

Ebola spreads through direct contact with blood or body fluids of infected people or animals. The virus causes severe fever and internal bleeding, with fatality rates typically ranging from 25 percent to 90 percent depending on the strain and available medical care.

Both governments have activated emergency response protocols. International organizations including the World Health Organization have deployed teams to assist with contact tracing, case investigation, and public health communication.

Ebola outbreaks in Central Africa have periodically erupted over decades, with the largest recorded outbreak occurring in West Africa between 2014 and 2016, which killed more than 11,000 people across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.

Health workers face challenges including limited laboratory capacity to confirm cases, difficulty accessing remote areas, and community resistance to containment measures. Vaccination campaigns targeting high-risk populations are underway in affected regions.

The Congo has experienced multiple Ebola outbreaks in recent years. Uganda confirmed its first case of Sudan ebolavirus in September 2022, a rare strain that had not appeared in the country for nearly two decades.