The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) poses a “very high” risk to the country, revising its threat assessment upwards. The agency noted a rapid spread of the disease, with almost 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths reported, up from 246 cases and 65 deaths when the outbreak was first reported a week earlier.

WHO Director-General Cites Deep Concern

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The WHO director-general, described the situation as “deeply worrisome.” On Thursday, tensions escalated in the Ituri province town of Rwampara, where tents and medical supplies outside a hospital were set on fire as medics attempted to establish an Ebola treatment center. A crowd reportedly became angry when not allowed to retrieve the body of a local man who had died at the facility, but Strict infection control protocols require Ebola patient bodies to be handled carefully to prevent further spread.

Tedros warned that “significant distrust of outside authorities among the local population” was complicating the response to the outbreak. “Building trust in the affected communities is critical to a successful response, and is one of our highest priorities,” he said.

Attack on Treatment Center Threatens Progress

Dr. Anne Ancia, the WHO’s representative in the DRC, said the attack in Rwampara would “significantly jeopardise” the response operation there. The targeted treatment center was intended to isolate Ebola patients from others in the hospital. Ancia expressed hope that the center could be operational again within 24 hours.

The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which no vaccines or treatments currently exist. Most of the cases are in Ituri province, with a few reported in other parts of the DRC and two in neighboring Uganda. Rising case numbers may paradoxically be a “good sign,” officials said, as they could indicate improved detection efforts. A slight decline in the number of positive test results suggests more people with symptoms are being identified.

Despite these efforts, Ancia noted that the response is still behind the outbreak. “We are running behind, we are not yet under control,” she said. However, she remained confident that the response would be successful. “I can guarantee you that together, we will manage to get over this outbreak as soon as we can,” she added.

Resource Shortages and Aid Cuts Hinder Response

While the WHO raised its risk assessment for the DRC, it maintained its earlier assessment that the risk remains high at the regional level and low at the global level. Representatives of humanitarian organizations working in Ituri said they lacked sufficient resources to mount an adequate response.

Dr. Amadou Bocoum, country director for Care International in the DRC, said aid cuts last year left the system “not able to work properly because of lack of equipment.” He also noted that lower staffing levels made labor-intensive tasks like informing cases and contact tracing more difficult.

Julie Drouet, country director for Action Against Hunger, said: “Everyone is working to try to implement as quickly as possible … the response in the field, however it is not quite yet ready. It is not really yet up to the emergency that we have in Congo at the moment.”

During a WHO press briefing, scientists also announced the identification of an antiviral drug, obeldesivir, which may prevent contacts of Bundibugyo cases from developing the disease. They are working to establish trials in the affected areas to test its effectiveness.