Ebola outbreak could be the deadliest on record, Africa CDC warns
The unfolding Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is threatening to become more devastating than the worst outbreak on record, international health authorities have warned.
Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya delivered a grim assessment of the crisis during a virtual summit of African leaders and international donors in Burundi this week.
“If we don’t stop the outbreak very soon, it will be worse than what we had in West Africa and eastern DRC,” Dr Kaseya was quoted by the Reuters news agency as saying.
Health workers disinfect themselves after preparing the body of an Ebola victim at Citadelle Clinic in Bunia, Congo, Friday, June 12, 2026. AP
The worst historical outbreak on record, which tore through West Africa between 2014 and 2016, claimed more than 11,000 lives.
Government data shows confirmed cases in the DRC have already climbed to 837, with 196 deaths officially recorded. However, international health agencies fear the true scale remains heavily obscured.
The biggest hurdle facing emergency responders is contract tracing.
Speaking with Al Jazeera, Dr Kaseya revealed that health workers have completely lost track of tens of thousands of potentially exposed individuals.
“The contact tracing is a major indicator and a major issue. We are missing more than 26,000 people, and we don’t know where they are, and we don’t know if they are contaminating other people,” Kaseya said.
Aid agencies has also noted that traditional, unsafe burial practices - where family members handle highly infectious bodies without protective gear - continue to drive local transmission.
Unlike more common Ebola variants, there is currently no approved vaccine or antiviral treatment for this specific Bundibugyo strain.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates it could take up to nine months before a viable vaccine is ready for deployment.
A health worker disinfects the area around a treatment centre under construction at the General Hospital in Bunia, Congo, Monday, June 15, 2026. AP
The virus has already begun crossing borders, with neighbouring Uganda recording 19 cases - 14 of which were imported from the DRC - resulting in two deaths.
Meanwhile, Australian health authorities and border agencies say they are actively tracking the situation.
In a situation update released on Monday, the Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC) said the overall risk to Australia remains very low.
Ebola does not spread easily through casual contact or air particles and requires direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person.
The CDC also noted that returned travellers presenting with a sudden fever are statistically far more likely to have contracted other common regional diseases, such as malaria.
The Australian Government’s Smartraveller has urged Australians to reconsider their need to travel to Uganda and to avoid the DRC entirely.
Because the Bundibugyo strain lacks approved vaccines, health authorities warn that anyone returning from these areas could face health screenings, transit disruptions, or strict entry requirements if they show signs of illness.
If you have travelled to the DRC, Uganda, or surrounding border areas and develop symptoms - such as a sudden fever, severe muscle pain, fatigue, vomiting, or diarrhoea - within 21 days of returning to Australia, the Australian CDC advises calling ahead to a GP or emergency department immediately and isolating from others.
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