GENEVA / RankWire.AI / – The World Health Organization has called for an expanded Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as ongoing transmission persists across multiple provinces. According to the latest government data, by Sept. 1, Congo had documented 6,250 confirmed cases and 3,039 deaths. The outbreak has impacted 60 health zones within six provinces. Authorities have also reported 1,439 recoveries, with a case fatality rate of 48.6%.
The Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak has become Congo’s most significant and lethal Ebola epidemic ever recorded. It ranks as the second-largest Ebola outbreak worldwide, surpassed only by the 2014-2016 epidemic in West Africa. Ituri province remains the primary center of transmission, accounting for approximately 85% of confirmed cases and 88% of reported deaths, making it the most severely affected region during this health crisis.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that health teams have yet to trace every chain of transmission. Many recent fatalities involved individuals not listed on known contact lists. The challenge is further complicated by community deaths and unsafe burials. The Africa CDC reported that more than 60% of deaths in the most recent seven-day period occurred in communities rather than health facilities.
Health agencies ramp up Ebola containment efforts
The World Health Organization has increased laboratory testing, treatment capacity, and field operations in affected regions. Over 330 tonnes of emergency supplies have been dispatched, and more than 300 experts have been deployed. Today, health authorities operate 24 laboratories near affected communities, a significant increase from a single national reference lab at the start of the response. Daily testing now reaches roughly 3,000 tests, and treatment and isolation facilities provide over 1,300 beds across 49 sites.
Currently, there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo virus. Researchers are engaged in therapeutic studies, while two vaccine candidates are undergoing safety evaluations. Efforts continue with contact tracing, testing, clinical management, infection prevention, and safe burials. Authorities are also intensifying community engagement to improve early detection, as delays can leave infected individuals outside formal monitoring systems, hindering efforts to quickly identify transmission chains.
Transmission persists despite a decline in new cases
Transmission remains active in 51 health zones, even though recent weeks have seen a decrease in case numbers. Four zones have reported no new infections for over 42 days and have successfully interrupted transmission. Additionally, five zones have experienced no new cases for 21 to 42 days. Public health officials caution that this decline does not yet indicate that the outbreak is under control, and surveillance continues across the affected areas.
Congo declared the outbreak in Ituri province on May 15 after authorities confirmed infections involving the Bundibugyo virus. The epidemic subsequently spread to North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo, and Bas-Uélé alongside Ituri. Tedros emphasized that the response efforts must be expanded until every transmission chain is identified and halted. Authorities are maintaining focus on rapid detection, contact follow-up, laboratory diagnosis, safe burial practices, and ensuring treatment access in communities impacted by Ebola.