Ebola in DR Congo: Rym Abdelmalek explains differences from Covid-19
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Business News
Illustrative image · Gustavo Fring · Pexels · Licence PexelsTunisian infectious diseases specialist Rym Abdelmalek explains that Ebola is mainly transmitted through contact with infected animals or sick people, unlike Covid-19. Speaking on Mosaïque FM on 8 November 2026, she said insecurity and difficulties accessing healthcare complicate the detection and monitoring of the outbreak in DR Congo.
The Ebola virus is not transmitted through the air, unlike the coronavirus responsible for Covid-19, but through direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person. Tunisian infectious diseases specialist Rym Abdelmalek recalled this difference during an interview on Mosaïque FM radio on Sunday 8 November 2026, as the outbreak of Bundibugyo virus disease progresses in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), according to Business News.
The incubation period for Ebola varies from two to 21 days. An infected person does not transmit the virus during this period: the risk of transmission begins with the onset of symptoms, Rym Abdelmalek explained. Transmission occurs when contaminated blood or other bodily fluids come into contact with mucous membranes or skin with even a minor lesion.
The specialist also highlighted that security difficulties and population movements in DR Congo complicate the detection and monitoring of patients. Some patients remain at home without diagnosis or treatment, delaying their isolation and facilitating the spread of the virus. As of 3 November, the World Health Organization had recorded 10,668 confirmed cases and 5,198 deaths linked to the Bundibugyo virus in DR Congo.
The intervention comes as the Congolese outbreak was described on 7 November as the largest in DR Congo's history. The toll of 10,668 confirmed cases and 5,198 deaths as of 3 November was also reported in the outbreak monitoring.
