Ruptly
"Congolese health authorities and epidemic response organisations in the east of the country are ramping up a large-scale disinfection operation on Saturday in an effort to curb the spread of the Ebola virus. Footage from Bunia's main central market shows health workers geared in hazmat suits, spraying chemicals to disinfect commercial spaces, stalls near high-traffic areas and discarded food waste left in the open. "We ask the public to respect the health measures. They must wash their hands when entering the market. Everyone entering must also wear a face mask, because Ebola is here and killing many people,” urged one health worker. Market shopkeepers and traders welcomed the government's initiative to implement safety disinfection measures around crowded places. "Many of us come to this market; sometimes we get crowded, it’s hot, and because of that, people can catch diseases. When I arrived, I found that they were disinfecting. Thank you to the governor for this action," said one trader. Alongside disinfection efforts, Congolese authorities have suspended all flights to and from Bunia until further notice to prevent the virus from spreading. The ban applies to commercial, private, and special flights, with exceptions only for authorised humanitarian and emergency missions. Earlier, Uganda announced new preventive restrictions on travel from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after health authorities warned that the risk of transmitting Ebola remains high due to cross-border trade, refugee movements, and travel. The outbreak began in April 2026 in Ituri province in northeastern DRC, near the Ugandan border. DRC officials reported that so far, there have been at least 177 suspected Ebola-related deaths and more than 750 suspected cases across the region. The strain of Ebola, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, currently has no vaccines, which the World Health Organisation recently declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, while raising the national risk assessment for the DRC to 'very high'."
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