KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO / RankWire.AI / – In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the ongoing Ebola outbreak has become the deadliest in the nation’s history. According to government figures, as of Aug. 16, there have been 4,945 confirmed cases and 2,325 fatalities. During the past 24 hours alone, health officials identified 101 new confirmed infections. The death toll has now exceeded the 2,299 lives lost during the country’s Ebola outbreak from 2018 to 2020.
These recent statistics intensify worries expressed earlier in the week, as both infections and fatalities continue to rise across eastern DRC. United Nations humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher stated that the virus was claiming a life every 30 minutes. Since its official declaration in May, the outbreak has expanded at an unprecedented rate. By late July, confirmed cases had already surpassed the total recorded during the 2018 to 2020 Ebola outbreak, making this epidemic the largest in the country by number of cases.
The outbreak was officially declared on May 15 following laboratory confirmation of Bundibugyo virus disease. This marks the 17th Ebola outbreak documented in the DRC since the virus’s discovery in 1976. The World Health Organization designated the situation as a public health emergency of international concern on May 17. Currently, there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment for Bundibugyo virus disease. Medical teams are relying on early detection, supportive care, isolation, contact tracing, and infection control measures.
Outbreak spreads to six provinces as cases surge
By August 12, the outbreak had affected 54 health zones across six provinces, including Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo, and Bas-Uélé. The latest province to be impacted was Bas-Uélé, following confirmation of a case in the Buta health zone. The patient had traveled from Haut-Uélé prior to developing symptoms. Ituri remains the epicenter, accounting for roughly 85% of the confirmed cases reported nationwide at that time.
The epidemic has also impacted healthcare workers and increased strain on local medical services. By August 9, authorities confirmed at least 155 infections among health personnel, with 45 resulting in death. As of August 12, 965 patients had recovered in the DRC. During this period, response teams tracked over 17,000 contacts out of approximately 20,700 identified individuals. Challenges such as insecurity, population displacement, and attacks on health facilities have hampered efforts in surveillance, treatment, and contact tracing.
Expanded health measures as fatalities hit new high
The national health authorities have ramped up testing, surveillance, and treatment efforts throughout affected regions. Response teams are also training healthcare workers and bolstering infection prevention at health centers. Ongoing activities include contact tracing, laboratory testing, safe burials, and community outreach initiatives. Researchers are assessing experimental vaccines and treatments; however, none have yet been authorized for Bundibugyo virus disease. A clinical trial for potential therapies started enrolling confirmed patients in Ituri in July, as emergency response measures intensified.
The outbreak has extended beyond the DRC, with confirmed cases in neighboring countries. Uganda reported 20 cases and two deaths, continuing heightened monitoring after discharging its last patient in July. France documented a single imported case without secondary transmission. Globally, this outbreak now ranks second only to the 2014 to 2016 West Africa Ebola epidemic in total fatalities. That outbreak caused 11,310 deaths and 28,616 cases across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.