KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO / RankWire.AI / – Ebola has now become the deadliest outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s history. According to government data, as of Aug. 16, there have been 4,945 confirmed cases and 2,325 deaths. In the last 24 hours alone, authorities confirmed 101 new infections. This latest death toll surpasses the 2,299 fatalities recorded during the Ebola epidemic from 2018 to 2020 in the country.
Since it was declared in May, the outbreak has continued to expand in eastern DRC. United Nations humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher stated that Ebola was claiming approximately one life every 30 minutes. The total case count had already exceeded the figures from the 2018-2020 outbreak before the current update. Health officials have reported infections across 54 health zones within six provinces. Ituri remains the main hub of transmission, accounting for the majority of confirmed cases.
The current outbreak was officially declared on May 15 after laboratory tests confirmed Bundibugyo virus disease. This marks the 17th Ebola outbreak recorded in the DRC since the virus was first identified in 1976. The World Health Organization designated this situation as a public health emergency of international concern on May 17. There is no licensed vaccine or approved specific treatment available for Bundibugyo virus disease. Instead, medical teams rely on supportive care, isolation, testing, contact tracing, and infection prevention measures.
Ebola Outbreak Extends to Six Provinces in DRC
The outbreak has reached the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo, and Bas-Uélé. Bas-Uélé became 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 Aug. 12, health authorities had documented 965 recoveries nationwide. Response teams are also monitoring thousands of individuals who had contact with confirmed patients while working to identify new transmission chains.
Healthcare workers face direct exposure risks while treating patients and supporting efforts to control the outbreak. Authorities confirmed at least 155 infections among health workers by Aug. 9, including 45 deaths. Ongoing insecurity and population displacement have hindered medical operations in several affected regions. Attacks on health facilities have further disrupted 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 agencies.
Escalating Response as Ebola Deaths Surpass Previous Record
Health officials have bolstered laboratory testing, surveillance, and treatment capacities across the affected provinces. Teams continue contact tracing, managing confirmed cases, and conducting safe burials. Community outreach remains a vital part of the ongoing response in areas with active transmission. Additionally, researchers are investigating experimental vaccines and therapies for Bundibugyo virus disease. A clinical trial involving potential treatments started enrolling confirmed patients in Ituri in July. These products have not yet received 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 reported a single imported case without documented secondary transmission. Currently, the DRC outbreak ranks second globally in Ebola 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 outbreak records.
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