New Eye-Bleeding Virus Outbreak Kills 131

A terrifying Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has now killed at least 131 people, health authorities say, as fears grow that the deadly virus is spreading faster than officials can contain it.

Authorities are tracking 513 suspected cases in the DRC, while neighboring Uganda has reported at least one death and two confirmed infections — a grim sign that the outbreak may already be crossing borders.

The alarming new figures come just two days after the World Health Organization declared the crisis a “public health emergency of international concern,” the agency’s highest-level warning for outbreaks that pose a global threat.

Among those caught in the emergency is an American doctor, who was reportedly flown to Germany for treatment after becoming infected. Six other U.S. medical workers are also believed to have been exposed, raising fresh concerns about the risks facing frontline doctors and nurses battling the virus in dangerous conditions.

Ebola is one of the world’s most feared diseases, known for its brutal symptoms and high death rates. In severe cases, victims can suffer fever, vomiting, organ failure, internal bleeding, and bleeding from the eyes.

The strain behind this outbreak is the Bundibugyo variant, a less common form of Ebola with a fatality rate estimated between 25 and 40 percent. That is lower than some other major Ebola strains, including the Zaire and Sudan variants, which can kill up to 90 percent of those infected.

But health officials are especially worried because there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo strain.

That leaves overwhelmed health workers racing to isolate patients, trace contacts, and stop new infections before the outbreak explodes further across central Africa.

The outbreak is only the third known emergency involving the Bundibugyo variant. Previous outbreaks were recorded in Uganda from 2007 to 2008 and in the DRC in 2012.

For global health experts, the crisis is another warning that dangerous diseases can emerge and spread quickly when public health systems are underfunded, conflict disrupts medical care, and international response efforts move too slowly.

Now, with more than 500 suspected cases, U.S. medical personnel exposed, and the virus already appearing beyond the DRC’s borders, the race to contain Ebola has become a matter of life and death.