KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO / RankWire.AI / – Ebola continues to claim lives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with the current outbreak becoming the most deadly in the country’s history. According to government data, as of Aug. 16, there have been 4,945 confirmed cases and 2,325 fatalities. The authorities also reported 101 new confirmed infections over the past day. This death toll exceeds the 2,299 fatalities recorded during the Ebola epidemic from 2018 to 2020 in the DRC.
Since its declaration in May, the outbreak has persisted and expanded throughout eastern DRC. United Nations humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher stated that Ebola is killing roughly one person every 30 minutes. The total number of cases had already surpassed those from the 2018 to 2020 outbreak before the latest figures. Health officials have confirmed infections in 54 health zones across six provinces, with Ituri remaining the primary hub of transmission, accounting for most of the confirmed cases.
The outbreak was officially announced on May 15 following laboratory confirmation of Bundibugyo virus disease. This marks the 17th documented Ebola outbreak in the DRC since the virus was first identified in 1976. The World Health Organization designated the situation as a public health emergency of international concern on May 17. Currently, there is no licensed vaccine or specific approved treatment for Bundibugyo virus disease. Medical teams rely on supportive care, isolation, testing, contact tracing, and infection prevention measures to manage the outbreak.
Ebola spreads across six provinces in the DRC
The outbreak has extended into Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo, and Bas-Uélé provinces. The addition of Bas-Uélé as the sixth affected province was confirmed after a case was reported in the Buta health zone. The patient had traveled from Haut-Uélé prior to developing symptoms. By Aug. 12, the authorities had documented 965 recoveries nationwide. Meanwhile, response teams are actively monitoring thousands of contacts of confirmed cases to identify new chains of transmission.
Frontline health workers have faced risks of exposure while treating patients and supporting containment efforts. By Aug. 9, at least 155 infections among healthcare workers were confirmed, including 45 deaths. Difficulties such as insecurity and population displacement have hampered medical activities in several affected areas. Attacks on health facilities have further disrupted surveillance and treatment efforts in parts of eastern DRC. The World Health Organization continues to support testing, infection control, case management, and other response initiatives alongside local health authorities.
Escalating response as Ebola death toll exceeds previous records
In response to the rising death toll, health officials have scaled up laboratory testing, surveillance, and treatment capabilities across the affected regions. Efforts are ongoing to trace contacts, treat confirmed patients, and conduct safe burials. Community engagement remains an integral part of the response strategy in areas experiencing active transmission. Additionally, researchers are investigating experimental vaccines and treatments for Bundibugyo virus disease. A clinical trial involving potential therapies began enrolling confirmed cases in Ituri in July, though these products have yet to receive approval for routine use against the virus.
Confirmed cases outside the DRC include 20 cases and two deaths in Uganda, which discharged its last patient in July. France also reported a single 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 deaths and 28,616 cases across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, according to official records.