The Democratic Republic of Congo faces an Ebola outbreak with over 1,000 suspected cases and at least 220 deaths since May 15, a crisis exacerbated by the virus spreading undetected for weeks and a persistent cultural demand for wild meat that experts link to zoonotic disease spillover. The World Health Organization (WHO) suspects the outbreak is significantly larger than reported, occurring in a region already grappling with armed violence and mass displacement.
The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a rare type of Ebola for which no approved medicines or vaccines exist.
Ebola was first discovered 50 years ago in 1976, with simultaneous outbreaks in Congo and present-day South Sudan.
Outbreaks are believed to originate from the virus spilling over into humans from infected animals, such as fruit bats.
Experts state these cross-species infections frequently occur when individuals handle and consume wild meat.
Cultural Practices and Disease Spread
For many in Congo and across Central and West Africa, wild meat is a deeply ingrained craving and a fundamental component of the cultural milieu.
This demand for wild meat from the Congo Basin, an expansive forested ecosystem, has persisted despite the punishing nature of diseases like Ebola.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has noted that while Ebola is not typically spread by food, cases in Africa have been associated with the hunting, butchering, and processing of meat from infected animals.
Dr. Tolbert Geewleh Nyenswah of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention stated that outbreaks occur frequently due to the “human, animal and environment interface,” adding that “we still interact with the bats, and our hunters are still killing monkeys, and we are close to the environment.”
Dr. Misaki Wayengera, a microbiologist advising Uganda’s Ministry of Health on epidemics, observed that some people “don’t believe the linkage” between wild meat and Ebola, while others are “totally ignorant” of the health threat, making it “very difficult to change some of these core practices.”
Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, founder of the Uganda-based Conservation Through Public Health group, emphasized the need for public health campaigners to intensify education on Ebola's origins and spread, stating that “eating meat from an unknown source, or a dead animal, is a no-no” and calling it “a very cultural thing.”
The WHO indicates that some fruit bats are believed to be natural hosts of Ebola-causing viruses, yet bats are known as a delicacy in many parts of Central and West Africa, with roasted fruit bat soup and parts of various monkeys highly sought after.
Global Institutions and Local Realities
The Ebola virus has been responsible for 17 outbreaks in Congo alone, alongside numerous others throughout the region.
The deadliest outbreak, which occurred in West Africa between 2014 and 2016, infected an estimated 28,000 people and resulted in more than 11,300 deaths.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which studied the Ebola risk from wild meat after the West Africa epidemic, concluded that animal-to-human spillovers are rare but their “consequences are nonetheless disastrous.”
Once a person is infected, the virus spreads through close contact with bodily fluids of sick or deceased patients, rendering health workers without adequate protective gear highly vulnerable.
While Congolese authorities have banned the hunting of endangered wildlife, including great apes pushed to the brink of extinction by poachers, no comprehensive ban on the wildlife trade exists, and illegal hunting of totemic creatures like the bonobo continues.
The yearly extraction rate of wild meat from the Congo Basin is estimated at 4.5 million tons, according to the Center for International Forestry Research.
Wild meat, known as “viande de brousse,” is a popular food, even served in trendy restaurants, which has intensified pressure on the dwindling resources of the Congo Basin.
In Kinshasa’s Masina Market, vendors like Charles Ntanga openly sold giant rodent carcasses for approximately $17 per kilogram, stating, “We sell wild meat. We make our lives through this business,” and attracting clients “from all walks of life.”
The Cost of Tradition
The persistence of these cultural practices, despite the known risks, contributes to the ongoing public health crisis and the strain on national resources.
The displacement of large numbers of people fleeing armed violence further complicates disease control efforts, creating conditions ripe for broader contagion.
The continued demand for wild meat also intensifies pressure on the Congo Basin, which remains the world’s largest carbon sink, surpassing the Amazon in its ability to capture and store carbon.