Nisha Pandey

WHO Says Ebola Outbreak Began Months Before It Was Officially Declared; Why Were Early Signs Missed?

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) <span><a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health/ebola">Ebola</a> outbreak</span> may have been spreading for months before health authorities officially declared it, raising new questions about why the early warning signs were missed.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), genetic sequencing indicates that the current outbreak began as early as February 2026, while the DRC officially declared the outbreak on May 15. By then, the virus had already had time to spread through communities in eastern DRC.

The outbreak is being caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a rare <span>Ebola</span> species for which there is currently no approved vaccine or specific course of treatment.

<h2>What Were The Early Warning Signs?</h2>

One of the major reasons why the current <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/ebola-outbreak-moderna-begins-first-human-trial-of-bundibugyo-vaccine-as-cases-rise-to-3748-article-155287057" data-type="tilCustomLink">Ebola outbreak</a> expanded within a short period of time was that it not immediately recognised.

Some early patients were reportedly treated for malaria or typhoid, illnesses that can initially cause symptoms such as fever, weakness, vomiting and diarrhoea. Early testing also focused on the more common Zaire strain of Ebola, delaying recognition of <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/dr-congo-ebola-outbreak-becomes-worlds-second-largest-as-death-toll-surpasses-1500-article-155232556" data-type="tilCustomLink">Bundibugyo virus</a>.

WHO’s own assessment had already identified an unusual cluster of severe illness and deaths in the Mongbwalu health zone in Ituri Province by early May. A subsequent investigation covering April 15 to May 13 identified 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths across three health zones.

Geographical disadvantage was also one of the reasons. Ituri is affected by armed conflict, population displacement and poor road access. Health workers have faced shortages of protective equipment, while some facilities have struggled because of workers' strikes.

Also read: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/nova-scotias-ebola-trial-why-is-canada-testing-a-vaccine-when-it-has-no-outbreak-article-155461536" data-type="tilCustomLink">Nova Scotia's Ebola Trial: Why Is Canada Testing A Vaccine When It Has No Outbreak?</a>

<h2>What Is The Current Status Of DRC Ebola Outbreak? </h2>

The <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/uganda-declared-ebola-free-as-congo-outbreak-grows-to-3262-cases-1437-deaths-article-155211178" data-type="tilCustomLink">Ebola outbreak in DRC</a> continues to grow at a rapid pace. The latest government figures cited by WHO and international media show about 4,200 confirmed Ebola cases and at least 1,900 deaths in DRC.

WHO Regional Director for Africa Mohamed Janabi described the situation bluntly: “We are chasing the virus, the virus is ahead of us.”

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has also warned that the outbreak is moving faster than the response, with cases doubling in some hotspots. He wrote on on X that “the outbreak is spreading faster than our scale up of the response”, adding that new cases had doubled in some hotspots over the previous week.

Ebola becomes considerably harder to contain once transmission moves beyond identifiable limits. Unlike respiratory viruses, Ebola primarily spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids and contaminated materials. But when patients are not recognised early, they can unknowingly expose others, healthcare workers and caregivers.

Also read: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/fda-approves-modernas-first-mrna-flu-vaccine-marking-a-milestone-in-influenza-prevention-article-155318998" data-type="tilCustomLink">FDA Approves Moderna's First mRNA Flu Vaccine, Marking A Milestone In Influenza Prevention</a>

“RT-PCR Unlikely To Miss Infection”: Experts on Ebola Test Accuracy

One of the major challenges in this outbreak is that around 60–70% of new cases are reportedly occurring outside known contact chains, making traditional contact tracing much harder. The current outbreak has also unfolded in crowded urban and displacement settings, rather than remaining confined to an isolated rural location.

The <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/ebola-outbreak-in-dr-congo-nears-3000-cases-1300-deaths-as-un-warns-virus-is-spreading-like-wildfire-article-155180201" data-type="tilCustomLink">2014–2016 West African Ebola epidemic</a> was officially declared in March 2014, although the first human case was later traced back to December 2013. That outbreak eventually led to more than 11,000 deaths.

Also read: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/amid-rapidly-expanding-ebola-outbreak-dr-congo-is-seeing-an-alarming-increase-in-maternal-deaths-heres-why-article-155244666" data-type="tilCustomLink">Amid Rapidly Expanding Ebola Outbreak, DR Congo Is Seeing An Alarming Increase In Maternal Deaths; Here's Why</a>

<h2>Progress In Bundibugyo Vaccine Development</h2>

The <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/ebola-scare-in-the-uk-after-humanitarian-worker-monitored-in-london-hospital-heres-what-happened-article-155153530" data-type="tilCustomLink">WHO</a> is now pushing to accelerate the response, including clinical trials of the Ervebo vaccine, which is licensed against the Zaire strain but may offer some protection against Bundibugyo. Researchers are also developing vaccines specifically targeting Bundibugyo virus. 

<a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/narcolepsy-us-fda-approves-first-ever-pill-that-targets-root-cause-of-rare-sleep-disorder-article-155357940" data-type="tilCustomLink">Moderna</a> has launched the first-in-human Phase 1 clinical trial of its investigational vaccine against the current ebolavirus. The biotechnology company said Health Canada has authorized the study, which will evaluate its vaccine candidate, mRNA-1469, in healthy adult volunteers at three clinical sites across Canada.

mRNA-1469 is an investigational vaccine developed using Moderna's messenger RNA (mRNA) platform, the same technology used in its COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine builds on the company's broader research into filoviruses, the family of viruses that includes Ebola.

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The Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) Ebola outbreak may have been spreading for months before health authorities officially declared it, raising new questions about why the early warning signs were missed.According to the World Health Organization (WHO), genetic sequencing indicates that the current outbreak began as early as February 2026, while the DRC officially declared the outbreak on May 15. By then, the virus had already had time to spread through communities in eastern DRC.The outbreak is being caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a rare Ebola species for which there is currently no approved vaccine or specific course of treatment.What Were The Early Warning Signs?One of the major reasons why the current Ebola outbreak expanded within a short period of time was that it not immediately recognised.Some early patients were reportedly treated for malaria or typhoid, illnesses that can initially cause symptoms such as fever, weakness, vomiting and diarrhoea. Early testing also focused on the more common Zaire strain of Ebola, delaying recognition of Bundibugyo virus.WHO’s own assessment had already identified an unusual cluster of severe illness and deaths in the Mongbwalu health zone in Ituri Province by early May. A subsequent investigation covering April 15 to May 13 identified 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths across three health zones.Geographical disadvantage was also one of the reasons. Ituri is affected by armed conflict, population displacement and poor road access. Health workers have faced shortages of protective equipment, while some facilities have struggled because of workers' strikes.Also read: Nova Scotia's Ebola Trial: Why Is Canada Testing A Vaccine When It Has No Outbreak?What Is The Current Status Of DRC Ebola Outbreak?     The #Ebola outbreak in the #DRC is outpacing our response, making it imperative that we rapidly scale up every aspect of our efforts to contain it: https://t.co/pyMgSl27FQ @WHO and @AfricaCDC stand in solidarity with the government, affected communities, and the courageous… pic.twitter.com/D6DuytAmZQ&mdash; Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) August 7, 2026 ]]>The Ebola outbreak in DRC continues to grow at a rapid pace. The latest government figures cited by WHO and international media show about 4,200 confirmed Ebola cases and at least 1,900 deaths in DRC.WHO Regional Director for Africa Mohamed Janabi described the situation bluntly: “We are chasing the virus, the virus is ahead of us.”WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has also warned that the outbreak is moving faster than the response, with cases doubling in some hotspots. He wrote on on X that “the outbreak is spreading faster than our scale up of the response”, adding that new cases had doubled in some hotspots over the previous week.Ebola becomes considerably harder to contain once transmission moves beyond identifiable limits. Unlike respiratory viruses, Ebola primarily spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids and contaminated materials. But when patients are not recognised early, they can unknowingly expose others, healthcare workers and caregivers.Also read: FDA Approves Moderna's First mRNA Flu Vaccine, Marking A Milestone In Influenza PreventionEffects Of Delayed Recognition   One of the major challenges in this outbreak is that around 60–70% of new cases are reportedly occurring outside known contact chains, making traditional contact tracing much harder. The current outbreak has also unfolded in crowded urban and displacement settings, rather than remaining confined to an isolated rural location.The 2014–2016 West African Ebola epidemic was officially declared in March 2014, although the first human case was later traced back to December 2013. That outbreak eventually led to more than 11,000 deaths.Also read: Amid Rapidly Expanding Ebola Outbreak, DR Congo Is Seeing An Alarming Increase In Maternal Deaths; Here's WhyProgress In Bundibugyo Vaccine Development      Some good news on #Ebola: new data from two animal studies show that Ervebo vaccine (the only licensed vaccine against Ebola Zaire) might offer some level of cross-protection against Bundibugyo virus. The studies were done in line with @WHO&#39;s call for more research.The WHO…&mdash; Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) August 7, 2026 ]]>The WHO is now pushing to accelerate the response, including clinical trials of the Ervebo vaccine, which is licensed against the Zaire strain but may offer some protection against Bundibugyo. Researchers are also developing vaccines specifically targeting Bundibugyo virus. Moderna has launched the first-in-human Phase 1 clinical trial of its investigational vaccine against the current ebolavirus. The biotechnology company said Health Canada has authorized the study, which will evaluate its vaccine candidate, mRNA-1469, in healthy adult volunteers at three clinical sites across Canada.mRNA-1469 is an investigational vaccine developed using Moderna's messenger RNA (mRNA) platform, the same technology used in its COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine builds on the company's broader research into filoviruses, the family of viruses that includes Ebola.

who says ebola outbreak began months before it was officially declared; why were early signs missed?

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