WHO Warns of Urban Ebola Outbreak in Congo

On Friday, May 18, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the alert level for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to 'high' due to the risk of an Ebola outbreak in the country, now deemed 'very high.' According to Reuters, the organization also upgraded the alert level in the region from 'medium' to 'high.' The global alert level for Ebola remains 'low' according to the organization. The upgrade follows the confirmation of one death in the city of Mbanda-Ka, which has a population of 1.5 million. Previously, Ebola cases had only been reported in remote areas of the country, reducing the likelihood of rapid spread. The WHO stated in a release: 'The confirmed case of Ebola in Mbanda-Ka, a major urban center located along major cross-border rivers and land and air routes, increases the risk of Ebola spread in the DRC and neighboring countries.' Peter Salama, WHO's Deputy Director-General, told reporters on Thursday: 'We certainly do not want to create panic at the national or international level. However, we say that urban Ebola is a very different phenomenon from rural Ebola because we know that infected individuals in urban environments have much more contact. This means urban Ebola can increase exponentially...' On Friday, the WHO plans to convene an 'emergency committee' to assess the response to this crisis. Meanwhile, the European Commission announced on Friday that it will allocate 1.6 million euros to combat the Ebola outbreak in Congo and will send specialized personnel and equipment to the country. The spread of Ebola to Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC with a population of 10 million, is a nightmare that the WHO fears. According to the WHO, from April 4 to May 15, 21 suspected cases, 20 probable cases, and three confirmed cases have been reported, with 15 fatalities. In Mbanda-Ka, three suspected cases and one confirmed case of Ebola have been reported. The WHO is transferring test scans to the DRC to stop the spread of Ebola.