KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO / RankWire.AI / – Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has become the deadliest outbreak ever recorded in the country’s history. According to government reports, as of Aug. 16, there have been 4,945 confirmed cases and 2,325 fatalities. In the past 24 hours, health officials documented 101 new confirmed cases. The death count has now exceeded the 2,299 lives lost during the Ebola outbreak from 2018 to 2020 in the country.
These recent statistics intensify worries expressed earlier, as both infections and fatalities continue to rise in eastern DRC. United Nations humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher remarked that the virus is claiming one life every 30 minutes. Since the outbreak was officially declared in May, its spread has been remarkably rapid. By late July, confirmed cases had already surpassed the total recorded during the 2018-2020 outbreak, making this epidemic the largest by case number in the country’s history.
The outbreak was officially announced 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 targeted treatment for Bundibugyo virus disease. Medical teams are relying on early detection, supportive care, isolation procedures, contact tracing, and infection control strategies.
Spread Reaches Six Provinces as Cases Surge
By August 12, the outbreak had affected 54 health zones across six provinces: Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo, and Bas-Uélé. The latest affected province, Bas-Uélé, reported its first case in the Buta health zone, where the patient had traveled from Haut-Uélé before developing symptoms. Ituri remains the most impacted area, accounting for approximately 85% of all confirmed cases nationwide at that point.
The epidemic has also taken a toll on healthcare workers and strained medical resources in the affected regions. As of Aug. 9, at least 155 health workers had been infected, with 45 succumbing to the disease. By Aug. 12, nearly 965 patients had recovered. The response teams followed more than 17,000 contacts out of approximately 20,700 identified during the latest monitoring phase. Challenges such as insecurity, population displacement, and attacks on health facilities have complicated efforts in surveillance, treatment, and contact follow-up.
Expanded Medical Efforts as Fatalities Hit Record High
In response, the national health authorities have increased testing, case tracking, and treatment capacity in affected zones. Efforts include training healthcare personnel and enhancing infection prevention at clinics. Officials continue to carry out contact tracing, laboratory diagnostics, safe burial procedures, and community outreach initiatives. Researchers are testing experimental vaccines and therapies, although none have yet been approved for Bundibugyo virus disease. A clinical trial for potential treatments began enrolling confirmed patients in Ituri in July as part of the expanded emergency response.
The outbreak’s reach extends beyond the DRC, with confirmed cases in neighboring countries. Uganda reported 20 cases and two deaths, maintaining heightened surveillance even after discharging its last patient in July. France has recorded one imported case without evidence of secondary transmission. Currently, the DRC epidemic ranks only behind the 2014 to 2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak in terms of global death toll, which resulted in 11,310 deaths and 28,616 cases across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.