Approximately 139 deaths have been reported in the Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda.

VTV.vn - The World Health Organization (WHO) says the number of suspected Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda has risen to 600, with 139 deaths.

(Photo: AP)

During a meeting of the WHO Emergency Committee in Geneva, Switzerland, on May 20, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed that the Ebola virus remains an international public health emergency, but not a pandemic.

"The WHO assesses the risk of an Ebola outbreak as high at the national and regional levels, and low globally," said Tedros.

Previous figures reported by Congolese officials indicated an estimated 131 deaths among 513 suspected Ebola cases in the country. The Ebola outbreak comes just five months after Congo declared the previous outbreak over.

The WHO's Health Emergencies Executive Director, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, stated at a press conference that the World Health Organization's absolute priority now is to identify all existing transmission chains.

"That will allow us to determine the actual scale of the outbreak and provide the necessary care," said Ihekweazu.

Red Cross workers disinfect the body of a person who died from Ebola after transporting it from a health center in Rwampara, Congo, on May 20, 2026 (AP Photo).

The WHO Director-General first declared an Ebola emergency on May 17, stating that he did so without consulting other experts due to the urgency of the outbreak.

Health officials say the outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, a type of Ebola virus for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment.

Tedros expressed deep concern about the scale and speed of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

Limited testing capacity is slowing the response to the Ebola virus outbreak in these two African countries, particularly for the Bundibugyo strain causing this outbreak. Detection of the outbreak has also been delayed by weeks because the test kits used in the region are primarily manufactured to detect Zaire – the more common strain of Ebola.

The WHO representative in Congo also warned that a lack of funding is seriously affecting the ability to combat the Ebola virus. The WHO stated that the first case of the current outbreak has not yet been identified and there remains much uncertainty about the actual scale of the infection.

However, the agency believes that communicating the risks and mobilizing the community can still help control the spread of the disease.

Source: https://vtv.vn/khoang-139-ca-tu-vong-trong-dot-bung-phat-ebola-o-congo-va-uganda-100260521075611637.htm