By The South Asia Times

KINSHASA/GENEVA -  A deadly Ebola outbreak in central Africa has killed at least 118 people and infected more than 500 others, as health authorities scramble to contain the cross-border spread of a rare virus strain for which no specific vaccine or cure currently exists, officials said Tuesday.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) government confirmed the latest figures late Monday, with the outbreak, declared on May 15, now spreading from the initially affected Ituri Province to new territories in North Kivu Province.

Health Minister Roger Kamba, who is personally overseeing the response in the provincial capital of Bunia, told reporters that 59 confirmed patients are currently receiving treatment.

The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, which has a high fatality rate of approximately 50 percent and—unlike the more common Zaire strain—lacks a licensed vaccine or specific antiviral treatment, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Authorities have confirmed that the epidemic has now reached areas beyond its initial epicenters of Mungwalu and Ruwambara in Ituri. The town of Nyakunde in Irumu territory has been formally designated as an affected zone.

More concerning, cases have now crossed provincial lines. Two confirmed cases were reported in the Karuba area of Butembo, near the city of Goma in North Kivu Province—a major regional hub with a population of several million. A separate case was confirmed in Goma city itself on Monday.

"We are dealing with a volatile situation characterized by high population mobility, security challenges, and movement of workers from mining areas," said Jean Kaseya, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). "The risk of wider regional spread is real."

The outbreak has already crossed international borders. Uganda's health ministry has confirmed two imported Ebola cases from the DRC, both diagnosed in the capital Kampala on May 15 and 16.

The two patients, who had recently traveled from the affected zones in eastern DRC, are currently receiving intensive care in Kampala hospitals. Ugandan health teams have launched emergency contact tracing efforts, officials said.

Neighboring countries including Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania have stepped up health screenings and surveillance measures at border crossings, while South Sudan has closed some entry points along its frontier with the DRC.

- WHO declares global health emergency

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Saturday declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), the agency's highest alert level, citing the risk of further cross-border spread and the lack of medical countermeasures for the Bundibugyo strain.

Africa CDC separately classified the event as a "Continental Security Public Health Emergency," calling on all African nations to enhance regional coordination to break the chains of transmission.

"The coming weeks are critical," Tedros said in a statement from Geneva. "International support must be mobilized immediately to stop this outbreak before it spirals further out of control."

Health workers in the DRC are racing to establish three new treatment centers in Ruwambara, Mungwalu, and Bunia to expand bed capacity. Contact tracing teams are operating in affected communities, though officials acknowledge challenges due to local insecurity and difficult terrain.

The DRC has faced 17 Ebola outbreaks since the virus was first identified near the Ebola River in 1976. While the country has successfully contained previous outbreaks, health experts warn that the unique characteristics of the Bundibugyo strain—coupled with ongoing population movements—present unprecedented challenges.

"We have experience. We know what works," Minister Kamba told reporters in Bunia. "But we need the world's attention and support now—not later."

The WHO has released 2 million U.S. dollars from its contingency fund, but officials say far more is needed. An emergency donor conference is expected to be convened later this week.