As a deadly Ebola outbreak continues to claim lives across parts of Central Africa, public health officials in Maine are stepping forward to reassure residents that the local threat remains minimal. Dr. Puthiery Va, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, addressed the situation in an exclusive statement to Amjambo Africa, emphasizing the robust screening measures currently in place nationwide.
“While recent Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda are receiving national attention, the risk to the public in Maine remains extremely low,” Dr. Va said. “The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. CDC) screens at-risk travelers at designated entry points and works closely with states and local jurisdictions to conduct active monitoring. As of June 16, there are no reported Ebola cases in Maine or anywhere in the United States.”
Dr. Va advised anyone who has recently traveled to the affected regions to take immediate precautions if they become ill. The director further urged anyone who develops symptoms such as fever, diarrhea, or vomiting after traveling to an area of concern in East or Central Africa, or any designated Ebola hotspot, to call their healthcare provider or local emergency department before seeking in-person care. This allows medical professionals to develop a plan that keeps the patient, their loved ones, and the community safe.
The scale of the Central African outbreak
According to recent reports from the Ministry of Health in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and international health agencies, the ongoing outbreak of the Bundibugyo Ebola virus has escalated significantly. As of June 28, the DRC has recorded 1,274 confirmed cases and 360 deaths, with Ituri province remaining the outbreak’s epicenter alongside active spread in North and South Kivu. The crisis has also affected Uganda, which has reported 20 confirmed cases and two deaths, and recently reached beyond the African continent with a confirmed case in France. As the death toll and case numbers continue to climb amid severe humanitarian challenges on the ground, the outbreak is taking a devastating toll across Central Africa and prompting elevated global concern.
Understanding the Ebola virus
Ebola diseases are caused by a family of viruses, with the Bundibugyo strain responsible for the current outbreak. Ebola viruses can infect both humans and animals, such as fruit bats and apes. It spreads strictly through close, direct contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated materials. Unlike viruses responsible for the common cold, Ebola is not an airborne virus and cannot be spread through casual contact.
A person can only transmit the virus to others after they begin showing symptoms, which usually appear suddenly between two and 21 days after infection. The initial symptoms are flu-like and typically include a high temperature, extreme tiredness, muscle aches, a sore throat, and a headache. As the disease progresses, patients may experience vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, a skin rash, bruising, and yellowing of the skin and eyes. In severe cases, Ebola causes bleeding from multiple areas of the body.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about half of all people infected with Ebola will die. Death rates are significantly higher when patients do not receive rapid and effective treatment. While vaccines for this specific strain remain experimental and there is no definitive cure, supportive treatments like replacing fluids and electrolytes can be lifesaving.
The human toll
In affected neighborhoods, Ebola is not just a medical term. It is a tangible fear, a void, a home that has become too silent.
Solange Yenga, a resident of Bunia, the capital of Ituri in northeastern DRC, recalls a family she knew from her student years. A family she describes as lively, united, respected, almost ordinary, until everything changed.
She told Amjambo Africa that in less than two weeks, five members of that family died from Ebola; a series of deaths so rapid that it left relatives in shock and disbelief, with children now facing an unbearable void.
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“I studied with one of the daughters of that family. It was a very dynamic and respected family. Seeing it almost disappear in such a short time is something I cannot fully comprehend,” Yenga said. In her account, there is no distance or coldness, only deep pain and a stark realization of life’s fragility in the face of disease.
For Yenga, this story is not an isolated case, but a warning.
“Ebola is real. It is not a rumor. It is a disease that can strike quickly and destroy entire families. We must remain vigilant and respect prevention measures,” she said.
Hundreds of kilometers away, in the DRC capital of Kinshasa, Fatty Shako is also carrying a difficult loss. She lost a cousin, a young man she describes with deep admiration and affection as a brilliant, ambitious graduate of medical studies who dreamed of helping others.
“He was very intelligent, respectful, with many dreams. He truly wanted to help people; he was passionate about his work,” she said.
The illness first appeared quietly: a persistent fever, unusual fatigue — symptoms often dismissed as temporary. But things quickly escalated. “We noticed he was sick because of the fever and fatigue. Then his condition deteriorated day after day. Despite care, we could see he was slipping away from us,” she explained.
What remains engraved in her memory is not only the illness, but how quickly it took her loved one, and the helplessness in the face of a virus that leaves little room for hope.
“It was very difficult to see him go like that. The hardest part is that we could not say a proper goodbye, nor see his body. That pain remains deeply with us,” she said.
Challenges in relief and USAID reductions
Healthcare workers rely heavily on protective equipment like masks, gowns, rubber boots, face guards, and goggles to reduce their risk of infection. However, many of the hardest-hit regions lack sufficient gear. The WHO notes that the United States’ recent decision to freeze foreign aid is significantly impacting relief efforts in the DRC.
Historically, the United States, through its role in WHO and United States Agency for International Development (USAID), contributed funds, scientific expertise, and resources to prevent and control epidemics and outbreaks in Africa. Since the Trump administration dismantled USAID and withdrew from the WHO in 2025 and 2026, National Public Radio (NPR) reports that aid has been cut by as much as 80%, ending informal surveillance networks that might have allowed for earlier detection of the current Ebola outbreak.
Staff in the DRC who were previously tasked with transporting samples to labs for testing are no longer in place, and because the Bundibugyo strain is a rarer Ebola virus, standard tests missed early cases. Health experts say with U.S. support, more advanced screening and rapid response for treatment of confirmed cases might have reduced the scale and rapid explosion of this virus.
Inside the struggle of frontline medical teams
For physicians on the front lines of the Ebola response, the virus remains one of the deadliest and most demanding public health threats in the world.
“Every patient presents both a medical challenge and a human story,” said Dr. Jean-Pierre Maliyawatu, an epidemiologist in North Kivu.
He explained that the response demands speed, precision, and constant vigilance from the moment a suspected case is identified. “Our responsibility is to move quickly — to identify suspected cases, isolate infected individuals, administer treatment, and closely monitor every change in their condition,” he said. “Despite remarkable advances in diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutics, Ebola remains an exceptionally aggressive disease that can deteriorate a patient’s health within hours.”
For Maliyawatu, the progress made against Ebola is the result of both science and the dedication of frontline health workers operating under extreme pressure.
“In this fight, every minute can mean the difference between life and death,” he added.
Beyond the clinical work, the emotional toll on health workers is profound. Many described a daily struggle between hope and loss as they care for critically ill patients.
“We often receive patients in very advanced stages of the disease, after several days in the community without proper care,” explained Dr. Emmanuel Zigabe, a physician working at an Ebola treatment center in North Kivu.
He paused before describing the hardest moments on the job. “There are times when, despite everything we do, we lose patients. Those moments stay with you,” he said. “But when a patient recovers and walks out of the treatment center to reunite with their family, it restores our strength. It reminds us why we continue this work.”
Public health experts warn that even as treatment improves, the fight against Ebola remains fragile and dependent on early detection.
“Every outbreak reminds us that Ebola can resurface quickly if surveillance weakens,” said Aristote Javan, a public health expert in North Kivu. “Communities, health authorities, and international partners must continue working together to detect new cases early and prevent further spread of the virus.”
For those on the front lines, the battle against Ebola is not only medical — it is sustained by resilience, trust, and a shared determination to protect lives in some of the most difficult conditions in global health.
(This article is written for Amjambo Africa by Amy Harris and Rachel Ndjondjo).
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the early July 2026 print edition of Amjambo Africa.
