Double threat as anthrax outbreak deepens DRCs insecurity

• In DRC, millions of people remain at risk of anthrax outbreak, a disease that demands the hospitalization of infected patients for better outcomes.
• One case of fatality, 16 suspected cases reported as healthcare infrastructure and transportation remains in dire need.
• WHO notes that anthrax has three forms in humans, all needing prompt medical attention.

The delicate security situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) could get worse following reports of anthrax outbreak, which threaten to further burden humanitarian response efforts in the war zone.

With insecurity fears escalating, millions of people remain at risk of anthrax outbreak, a disease that demands the hospitalization of infected patients for better outcomes in an area where healthcare infrastructure and transportation is in dire need.

With one reported loss of live, the zone now stares at the risk of plunging into limited humanitarian response even as anthrax outbreak threatens to further cripple limited healthcare and protection systems across the country.

The war in eastern DRC has already displaced nearly seven million people according to  the UN migration agency (IOM). Already, millions of people are trapped in overcrowded and under-resourced camps, with limited access to healthcare services, a scenario that could worsen with anthrax outbreak.

Latest media reports from the UN show that over 660,000 people have been forced to flee the Goma region since the start of the year when DRC forces lost the city of Goma and Bukavu to Rwanda-backed M23 rebels.

Anthrax outbreak pushed eastern DRC into tipping point

According to the UN’s IOM, increasing humanitarian needs in mineral-rich DRC has hit a tipping point, with outbreaks of mpox and anthrax underway in the east.

“While both mpox and anthrax typically affect livestock and other animals, food insecurity resulting from the ongoing conflict, paired with unsanitary living conditions in displacement camps, puts humans at greater risk of transmission,” the UN stated in an update.

Already, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the twin threat of mpox and anthrax can be contracted through contact with infected or contaminated animals. Mpox is typically accompanied by fever and rash and rarely requires hospitalisation, while all human cases of anthrax do, the UN health agency added.

According to statistics, dozens of buffalo and hippopotamuses have been reported dead at Virunga National Park from anthrax poisoning since March 22. What’s more, there have been one death and 16 suspected human cases of anthrax in DRC, including one confirmed case.

Anthrax outbreak response measures

Already the world health agency is undertaking surveillance in eastern part of the DRC to determine the risk of the anthrax infection spreading further across the region.

Both diseases are treatable with antibiotics, and also preventable through vaccination. The WHO said it is working with partners to prevent future outbreaks by adopting a unified approach, prioritising human, animal and environmental safety.

Awareness campaigns and efforts to vaccinate livestock against anthrax are now underway.

WHO says that anthrax outbreak has already been reported in areas around Lake Edward on the border between the DRC and Uganda. Health experts have associated the outbreak to a strain on the Ugandan side of the lake, where seven suspected human cases have been reported in Kabale district. Authorities are already undertaking counter measures such as vaccination of livestock in the zone.

In the DRC, the world health agency is carrying out an assessment to determine the risk of the infection spreading further and is supporting the health authorities to strengthen the response including disease surveillance and investigation to identify the source of the outbreak and chains of transmission, as well as provision of medical supplies and treatment. WHO is also facilitating cross-border coordination between Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda to enhance outbreak response.

“Our efforts are focused on swiftly breaking the animal-to-human transmission. We’re working closely with the government, communities and partners to strengthen response measures to protect public health now and in the future,” said Dr Boureima Sambo, WHO Representative in the DRC.

Anthrax is a bacterial infection that mainly affects animals. However, human remain at risk and they can contract the disease directly or indirectly when they come in touch with infected animals, or through exposure to infected or contaminated animal products.

According to experts while Anthrax in humans is not generally regarded as contagious, there are traces of person-to-person transmission.

WHO notes that anthrax has three forms in humans, all needing prompt medical attention. On one hand, the most common is cutaneous anthrax, which happens when spores come into contact with broken skin, causing an itchy bump that turns into a black sore. This form can also lead to headaches, muscle aches, fever, and vomiting.

On the other hand, gastrointestinal anthrax affects human upon the consumption of infected meat, triggering food poisoning-like symptoms that can easily turn into severe stomach pain, vomiting of blood, and severe cases of diarrhoea.

Health experts note that the rarest and most serious form of the disease is inhalation anthrax, an infection that quickly develops upon breathing in the spores. Inhalation anthrax starts with cold-like symptoms in patients before rapidly morphing into severe breathing problems and body shock. Virtually all human cases of anthrax require hospitalization.

In healthcare centres, anthrax disease is normally treatable with the use of antibiotics. To counter its spread, however, there are vaccines exist for livestock and humans. However, human vaccines are in limited supply and used primarily for protection of selected individuals with possible occupational exposure to anthrax.

Initial alerts about the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo were raised on 22 March 2025 in Virunga National Park, where dozens of buffaloes and hippopotamuses have died.

Across troubled eastern DRC, efforts are underway to vaccinate livestock in communities living near rivers as veterinary teams safely dispose of animal carcases to avoid potential infection, while public awareness campaigns are being stepped to enhance preventive measures.

Preventing the disease in animals protects human health. Response through One Health is vital in addressing the full spectrum of disease control – from prevention to detection, preparedness, response and management, thus contributing to global health security.

Read also: Looters steal 7,000 tonnes of food aid as M23 rebels take over Bukavu city