KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO / RankWire.AI / – The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has become the deadliest the country has recorded. Government figures showed 4,945 confirmed cases and 2,325 deaths as of Aug. 16. Authorities added 101 confirmed infections during the previous 24 hours. The latest death toll exceeds the 2,299 fatalities recorded during the 2018 to 2020 Ebola epidemic in the country.
Since authorities declared it in May, the outbreak has continued to spread across eastern DRC. United Nations humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher stated that Ebola was claiming approximately one life every 30 minutes. The number of cases had already surpassed the total from the 2018 to 2020 outbreak prior to this latest update. Health officials have reported infections across 54 health zones in six provinces, with Ituri remaining the primary transmission hub, accounting for most confirmed cases.
The current outbreak was officially declared on May 15 after laboratory tests confirmed Bundibugyo virus disease. This marks the 17th Ebola outbreak in the DRC since the virus was first identified in 1976. On May 17, the World Health Organization classified the situation as a public health emergency of international concern. No licensed vaccine or specific approved treatment exists for Bundibugyo virus disease; instead, medical teams rely on supportive care, isolation, testing, contact tracing, and infection control measures.
Ebola Continues to Spread Across Six Provinces in DRC
The outbreak has expanded into Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo, and Bas-Uélé provinces. Bas-Uélé became the sixth affected province after authorities confirmed a case in the Buta health zone, involving a patient who had traveled from Haut-Uélé before symptoms appeared. As of Aug. 12, health authorities had documented 965 recoveries nationwide. Response teams also monitored thousands of individuals who had contact with confirmed cases, working to identify new transmission chains.
Health workers have faced direct risks while treating patients and supporting outbreak response efforts. By Aug. 9, at least 155 infections among health workers had been confirmed, including 45 deaths. Challenges such as insecurity and population displacement have hampered 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 provided support for testing, infection control, case management, and other response activities alongside national health authorities.
Response Efforts Accelerate as Ebola Death Toll Surpasses Previous Records
Health authorities have ramped up laboratory testing, surveillance, and treatment capacity across affected provinces. Teams continue contact tracing, managing confirmed cases, and conducting safe burials. Community outreach remains integral in areas experiencing ongoing transmission. Researchers are also investigating experimental vaccines and therapies for Bundibugyo virus disease. A clinical trial involving potential treatments began enrolling confirmed patients in Ituri in July, though these products have not yet received approval for routine use against the virus.
Confirmed cases outside the DRC have also been reported. Uganda documented 20 cases and two deaths before discharging its last patient in July. France reported a single imported case with no documented secondary transmission. Currently, the DRC outbreak ranks second globally in Ebola-related deaths, following the 2014 to 2016 West Africa epidemic, which caused 11,310 fatalities and 28,616 cases across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, according to official records.