Ebola outbreak in Congo tops 130 suspected deaths as WHO sends emergency supplies

WHO says the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has grown to more than 500 suspected cases and over 130 suspected deaths, turning the response in Ituri Province into a major public-health emergency.

The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that it has mobilized emergency supplies and support for the outbreak, after warning that the scale and speed of transmission may be greater than first detected. The agency has already classified the epidemic in DR Congo and Uganda as a public health emergency of international concern.

The latest figures mark a sharp escalation from WHO’s earlier reports. On May 17, the agency said there were 80 suspected deaths and 246 suspected cases as of May 16. By May 19, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said there were more than 500 suspected cases and more than 130 suspected deaths.

AP separately reported that Congo authorities had put the suspected death toll at 134, while Reuters reported that WHO had sent emergency health supplies to affected areas. WHO has also described the outbreak as centered in Ituri Province and said the response now includes rapid response teams, surveillance, laboratory confirmation and treatment centers.

The outbreak is being watched closely because WHO officials have said the epidemic may be larger than initially recognized. The agency’s warning comes as health workers try to contain spread in eastern Congo, where access and surveillance challenges can complicate outbreak control.

Open questions remain over how many of the reported cases will be laboratory-confirmed, whether national authorities revise the death toll, and whether additional cases emerge across borders.

The situation remains fluid, with WHO continuing to expand supplies and response operations as new information comes in.