In rural Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a lethal Ebola strain has torn through local communities – claiming over 100 lives and triggering a global health emergency.
The virus was first discovered in the DRC in 1976, and remains an enduring threat. The central African nation has seen 17 outbreaks, more than any other country – a severe outbreak between 2018 and 2020 left 2,299 people dead.
Ebola, an often fatal virus that causes severe symptoms, including high fever and both internal and external bleeding, originates in wildlife. It is transmitted to humans through close contact with the blood or fluids of infected forest animals, such as “fruit bats, porcupines and non-human primates” like monkeys, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Once the virus enters a community, it spreads quickly between people through direct contact with bodily fluids or contaminated surfaces.
The current outbreak is driven by the Bundibugyo strain, a rare form of Ebola. Unlike the more common Zaire strain of the virus, the Bundibugyo variant currently lacks any approved vaccines or treatments.
Scientists believe humans first contracted Ebola by hunting, handling, or eating infected wild animals, collectively known as bushmeat. Such food – particularly bats, monkeys, grasscutters and antelopes – remains popular in the DRC, just one reason why Ebola remains a danger today.
The poison in the prey
The recurring outbreaks in the DRC are linked to its geography. Vast, dense forests cover more than 60% of the country’s landmass (over 150 million hectares), serving as a natural breeding ground for Ebola.
For many rural residents in the Congo Basin – the world’s second-largest rainforest – where bushmeat provides up to 80% of local protein intake, hunting wild meat is a matter of survival, not preference.
The DRC is mineral rich but over 80% of its 100 million citizens live in extreme poverty. The situation is particularly grim in the east, where an active armed rebellion has allowed a powerful rebel coalition to seize vast territories, displacing millions and plunging the region into a severe food crisis.
On Thursday, the rebels confirmed an Ebola case in Bukavu, a city under their control in South Kivu province. They reported that the patient, a 28-year-old, had died and was buried safely. Additionally, the rebels announced that a separate case of Ebola was identified in Goma, the largest city in eastern DRC, which they also occupy.
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