Ebola cases top 900 as virus spreads to Uganda

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has surpassed 900 suspected or confirmed cases, with 204 deaths recorded as of Saturday, according to the country's Ministry of Health. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a international public health emergency on May 17, expressing deep concern over the magnitude and speed of spread. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that the virus is propagating rapidly, complicating response efforts in the eastern province of Ituri, the epicenter of the crisis, where nearly 5 million people live amid ongoing conflict and one in four residents requires humanitarian assistance. The outbreak was officially declared on May 15 and involves the Bundibugyo variant of the virus, which has no approved vaccine or specific treatment. The disease has also spread to neighboring Uganda, where three new cases were reported this weekend, bringing the confirmed positive total to five. Health authorities have banned funerals and public gatherings in Ituri province to prevent further transmission, though WHO officials acknowledged significant challenges in containing the outbreak. The situation has been exacerbated by violence forcing both civilians and healthcare workers to flee, severely hindering contact tracing efforts and early infection detection. The mean case fatality rate stands at approximately 50 percent. Meanwhile, Spanish health authorities are closely monitoring the situation, though they assess the risk to Spanish citizens as low. According to the Coordination Center for Health Alerts and Emergencies, the probability of exposure and infection for travelers or residents in affected areas remains very low, with the only higher-risk group being healthcare and emergency response personnel working on the front lines. No direct flights exist between Spain and the DRC, requiring connections through other countries.