KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO / RankWire.AI / – The World Health Organization reports that the Ebola outbreak currently ravaging the Democratic Republic of the Congo has become the deadliest in the country’s history. According to government data, as of Aug. 16, there have been 4,945 confirmed cases and 2,325 fatalities. In the past 24 hours alone, authorities confirmed 101 new infections. This death toll surpasses the 2,299 lives lost during the Ebola epidemic from 2018 to 2020 in the country.
Since its declaration in May, the outbreak has continually expanded across eastern DRC. United Nations humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher stated that Ebola was claiming about one person every 30 minutes. The number of cases has already exceeded the total from the 2018-2020 outbreak prior to this latest update. Health officials report infections spanning 54 health zones within six provinces, with Ituri remaining the primary transmission hub, accounting for most confirmed cases.
The current outbreak was officially announced on May 15, following laboratory confirmation of Bundibugyo virus disease. It marks the 17th Ebola outbreak documented 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. No licensed vaccine or specific approved treatment exists for Bundibugyo virus disease. Instead, healthcare teams focus on supportive care, isolation, testing, contact tracing, and infection control measures.
Ebola Spreading in Six Provinces of DRC
The outbreak has now reached Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo, and Bas-Uélé provinces. Bas-Uélé became the sixth province affected after officials confirmed a case in the Buta health zone, involving a patient who traveled from Haut-Uélé before developing symptoms. By Aug. 12, health authorities reported 965 recoveries nationwide. Response teams continue to monitor thousands of contacts of confirmed patients as they work to identify new transmission chains.
Medical workers have encountered direct exposure risks while providing treatment and supporting outbreak containment. As of Aug. 9, authorities had documented at least 155 health worker infections, including 45 deaths. Ongoing insecurity and population displacement have hampered medical operations in several impacted areas, while attacks on health facilities have disrupted surveillance and treatment efforts in parts of eastern DRC. The World Health Organization continues to aid testing, infection prevention, case management, and other response activities alongside local health authorities.
Escalating Response as Ebola Death Toll Surpasses Previous Records
To combat the outbreak, health officials have ramped up laboratory testing, surveillance, and treatment capacity across affected regions. Teams persist in tracing contacts, managing confirmed cases, and conducting safe burials. Community engagement remains vital in areas with ongoing transmission. Researchers are investigating experimental vaccines and therapies for Bundibugyo virus disease, with a clinical trial for potential treatments beginning in July in Ituri. These products, however, have not yet received approval for routine use against the virus.
The outbreak’s reach extends beyond the DRC, with Uganda reporting 20 cases and two deaths before discharging its last patient in July. France has documented one imported case without secondary transmission. Currently, the DRC outbreak ranks second worldwide in Ebola-related deaths, following the 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic, which caused 11,310 fatalities and 28,616 cases across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, according to official records.