KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO / RankWire.AI / – In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Ebola outbreak has become the deadliest on record for the nation. Official data indicated 4,945 confirmed cases and 2,325 fatalities by August 16. Over the previous 24 hours, authorities reported an additional 101 confirmed infections. This latest death toll surpasses the 2,299 deaths documented during the Ebola epidemic from 2018 to 2020 in the country.
Since the outbreak was announced in May, it has been spreading continuously across eastern DRC. United Nations humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher stated that Ebola was claiming approximately one life every 30 minutes. The case count had already exceeded the total from the 2018 to 2020 outbreak before the latest figures. Health officials have detected infections in 54 health zones spanning six provinces, with Ituri remaining the primary hub of transmission, accounting for most confirmed cases.
The current outbreak was officially declared on May 15 after laboratory tests confirmed Bundibugyo virus disease. This marks the 17th Ebola outbreak in the DRC since the virus’s discovery in 1976. On May 17, the World Health Organization classified the situation as a public health emergency of international concern. No licensed vaccine or specific approved treatment exists for Bundibugyo virus disease. Instead, medical teams rely on supportive care, isolation, testing, contact tracing, and infection prevention measures.
Ebola Outbreak Continues to Spread Across Six Provinces in DRC
The epidemic has now reached the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo, and Bas-Uélé. Bas-Uélé was added as the sixth affected province after officials confirmed a case in the Buta health zone. The patient had traveled from Haut-Uélé prior to developing symptoms. As of August 12, health authorities had documented 965 recoveries nationwide. Efforts to identify new transmission chains also include monitoring thousands of contacts of confirmed cases.
Medical personnel have faced risks of direct exposure while treating patients and aiding in outbreak containment. By August 9, authorities confirmed at least 155 infections among health workers, including 45 deaths. Challenges in medical response have been compounded by insecurity and population displacement in several affected areas. Attacks on health facilities have further hampered surveillance and treatment efforts in parts of eastern DRC. The World Health Organization has supported testing, infection control, case management, and other response activities alongside national health authorities.
Escalating Response as Ebola Death Toll Outpaces Previous High
In response, health officials have expanded laboratory testing, surveillance, and treatment capabilities across affected regions. Teams persist in tracing contacts, managing confirmed cases, and conducting safe burials. Community engagement remains integral to the ongoing response in areas with active transmission. Additionally, researchers are investigating experimental vaccines and therapies for Bundibugyo virus disease. A clinical trial for potential treatments began enrolling confirmed patients in Ituri during July, though these products have not yet received approval for routine use against the virus.
Cases linked to the outbreak have also been reported outside the DRC. Uganda recorded 20 cases and two deaths before discharging its last patient in July. France reported one imported case without documented secondary transmission. Currently, the DRC outbreak ranks second globally in Ebola-related deaths, following the 2014 to 2016 West Africa epidemic, which resulted in 11,310 fatalities and 28,616 cases across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, according to established records.