BUNIA, Democratic Republic of the Congo — At least 30 people have died at a camp for displaced civilians in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo since early May in what officials fear may be a rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak, according to camp authorities and health officials working in the region.
The deaths were reported at Kigonze camp near the city of Bunia in Ituri province, the epicenter of Congo’s latest Ebola outbreak. Camp officials said many of those who died exhibited symptoms consistent with Ebola, including fever, headaches and vomiting. Health authorities said efforts to confirm the cause of death were initially hampered after some residents resisted testing and disease-control measures.
The outbreak is unfolding amid a broader Ebola emergency that has expanded across eastern Congo. According to the Congolese government’s latest situation report, the country had recorded nearly 900 confirmed Ebola cases and more than 230 deaths as of Wednesday, with infections continuing to rise. Health officials reported new cases and fatalities in the 24 hours before the update and warned that community transmission remained active.
The World Health Organization said the outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus and remains concentrated in Ituri province, although cases have also been reported in North Kivu and South Kivu. WHO said the outbreak has spread across multiple health zones and poses a very high risk within Congo because of ongoing transmission and population movement.
Humanitarian agencies operating in the area said overcrowding and poor sanitation conditions in displacement camps have complicated containment efforts. At Kigonze camp, which houses more than 15,000 displaced people, aid workers reported shortages of water, sanitation and hygiene services. Camp authorities described the recent deaths as unprecedented.
Health workers have also been affected. WHO emergency officials said more than 70 healthcare workers have contracted Ebola since the outbreak began, with 17 deaths reported among medical personnel. “The health workforce is paying a heavy price,” WHO emergency director Marie Roseline Belizaire said, according to the organization.
Authorities and aid organizations have intensified surveillance, testing, contact tracing and public-awareness campaigns in affected communities. International partners, including WHO and neighboring countries, have deployed additional personnel and resources to support the response.
As of Friday, health officials were continuing investigations into deaths reported at the camp while urging residents to cooperate with testing and monitoring efforts. Authorities said the full extent of transmission within the camp remained unclear as response teams worked to contain the outbreak.
