An anthrax outbreak has killed 28 hippopotamuses in Virunga National Park in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), prompting increased surveillance and public health measures to protect wildlife and communities living around the affected area.
The deaths were recorded over approximately one month, with hippo carcasses discovered in the Semuliki River, west of Africa’s oldest national park, raising concerns about the impact of the disease on the ecosystem and the safety of nearby communities.
Laboratory Tests Confirm Anthrax
Virunga National Park confirmed the outbreak following laboratory tests, identifying anthrax, caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, as the cause of the wildlife deaths.
The disease can spread to humans through contact with infected or dead animals, as well as through the consumption of contaminated meat.
“This disease can be transmitted to humans through contact with a dead or sick animal or by consuming its meat,” the park said.
Joel Mbusa Mapoli, an expert in ecology and veterinary medicine, described the deaths as a significant loss to the park and called for urgent measures to contain the outbreak.
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He explained that hippos play an important role in maintaining ecological balance by influencing nutrient flows and conditions within their habitats.
Park Intensifies Monitoring and Public Awareness
Virunga National Park said its response focuses on surveillance, the safe management of carcasses and reducing risks to wildlife and surrounding communities.
“Teams are monitoring the affected area, recording new cases of mortality and coordinating the safe handling and disposal of carcasses,” the park said.
“People living in the affected area and its surroundings are being informed about the outbreak; they are advised not to touch, skin or consume animals found dead, and to report any carcasses or suspected cases to the relevant authorities,” it stated.
Drought Linked to Recurring Anthrax Outbreaks
Park officials said anthrax outbreaks had previously affected hippos and other wildlife in the ecosystem, particularly during periods of drought.
Mapoli identified several factors contributing to recurring outbreaks, including the persistence of the bacterium in the environment, deteriorating ecological and climatic conditions, the concentration of animals around aquatic habitats and difficulties in monitoring wildlife health.
“When vegetation becomes scarce, herbivores may graze closer to the ground and congregate around the few remaining grazing areas and water points, thereby increasing their exposure to contaminated soil,” the park said in a statement, adding that the situation was being monitored “closely”.
The park’s February 2026 census estimated the hippo population at more than 2,700, distributed across 171 groups.
In 2025, an earlier anthrax outbreak killed 65 hippos in the park, according to its February 2026 population update. Park staff used excavators to retrieve the carcasses from the water.
Park officials said anthrax could survive in soil for decades in the form of spores.
Conservation and Public Health Measures
Mapoli said addressing the outbreak required an integrated approach combining wildlife conservation and public health interventions, in line with the One Health principle, which recognises the links between human, animal and environmental health.
He called for stronger epidemiological surveillance, improved protection for local communities, proper management of animal carcasses and greater collaboration among government agencies and other stakeholders.
“The hippopotamus is one of the flagship species of the Virunga ecosystems. Its disappearance could lead to a major disruption of aquatic ecosystems, as these animals play a role in the exchange of matter between terrestrial and aquatic environments,” he said.
The response, he said, should prioritise protecting both the hippos and the wider ecosystem on which surrounding communities depend.
SOURCE: Al Jazeera
