Patrick Muyaya Says DRC Has Experience to Contain Ebola Outbreak

Democratic Republic of Congo government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya has defended the country’s handling of the latest Ebola outbreak, insisting that Congolese authorities remain experienced, fully mobilized, and capable of containing the virus despite concerns over delayed detection and ongoing insecurity in eastern Congo.

Speaking in an interview with CNN International, Muyaya acknowledged public concern surrounding the rapid spread of the outbreak but stressed that the current strain differs from previous Ebola variants the country has faced over the years.

“This is the 17th time the DRC is facing this kind of outbreak. We have experience,” Muyaya said during the interview. “We have the best specialists on all those questions.”

DRC Says New Ebola Strain Presented Different Symptoms

During the CNN discussion, Muyaya explained that the outbreak initially proved difficult to identify because the symptoms resembled more common illnesses such as malaria.

According to him, many patients initially presented with fever and other symptoms not immediately associated with Ebola, particularly because the current Bundibugyo strain differs from the more lethal Zaire strain that Congo has previously confronted.

“Each virus, each outbreak is different from the previous one,” Muyaya said. “People were thinking that it was a mystic sickness coming from nowhere.”

The government spokesperson argued that once health authorities confirmed the nature of the outbreak, emergency response mechanisms were immediately activated.

He said the response is now being coordinated directly by the Health Ministry alongside renowned Congolese virologist Dr. Jean-Jacques Muyembe and specialized response teams deployed on the ground.