KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO / RankWire.AI / – The Ebola situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has escalated to become the deadliest on record for the country, with government data indicating 4,945 confirmed cases and a death toll of 2,325 as of Aug. 16. Authorities reported an additional 101 confirmed infections in the 24 hours prior to this update. This latest figure surpasses the 2,299 fatalities documented during the Ebola epidemic from 2018 to 2020 in the country.
Since its declaration in May, the outbreak has continued to expand through eastern DRC, with United Nations humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher stating that Ebola was claiming approximately one life every 30 minutes. The number of cases had already exceeded the total from the previous 2018-2020 outbreak before the latest update. Health officials have reported infections across 54 health zones in six provinces, with Ituri remaining the primary transmission hub, responsible for most of the confirmed cases.
The current outbreak was officially announced on May 15 after laboratory confirmation of Bundibugyo virus disease. This marks the 17th Ebola outbreak recorded 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 are no licensed vaccines or approved specific treatments for Bundibugyo virus disease, leading medical teams to rely on supportive care, isolation, testing, contact tracing, and infection prevention measures instead.
Ebola outbreak extends across six provinces in DRC
The outbreak has now reached the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo, and Bas-Uélé, with Bas-Uélé becoming the sixth affected region following the confirmation of a case in the Buta health zone. The patient had traveled from Haut-Uélé before symptoms appeared. By August 12, health authorities had documented 965 recoveries nationwide, and response teams were actively monitoring thousands of contacts of confirmed cases in efforts to identify new chains of transmission.
Frontline health workers have been exposed directly while caring for patients and supporting outbreak control activities, with at least 155 infections among healthcare personnel confirmed by August 9, including 45 fatalities. Ongoing insecurity and population displacement have complicated medical efforts in several impacted areas, and attacks on health facilities have further disrupted surveillance and treatment in parts of eastern DRC. The World Health Organization has provided support for testing, infection control, case management, and other response measures alongside the national health authorities.
Response efforts intensify as Ebola deaths exceed previous high
In response, health officials have expanded laboratory testing, increased surveillance, and improved treatment capacity across affected provinces, with teams continuing to trace contacts, manage confirmed cases, and execute safe burial procedures. Community outreach efforts remain an essential component of the response in areas with active transmission. Researchers are also investigating experimental vaccines and treatments for Bundibugyo virus disease, with a clinical trial enrolling confirmed patients in Ituri since July; however, these therapies have not yet gained approval for routine use against the virus.
The outbreak has also led to confirmed cases outside the DRC, with Uganda recording 20 cases and two deaths before discharging its last patient in July, while France reported one 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 fatalities and 28,616 cases across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, according to historical outbreak data.