KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO / RankWire.AI / – The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has become the deadliest on record for the country. As of Aug. 16, government data reports 4,945 confirmed cases and 2,325 fatalities. In the past 24 hours alone, authorities added 101 new confirmed infections. This death toll surpasses the 2,299 fatalities documented during the Ebola epidemic from 2018 to 2020 in DRC.
Since its declaration in May, the outbreak has continued to spread throughout eastern DRC. United Nations humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher stated that Ebola is claiming approximately one life every 30 minutes. The total number of cases has already exceeded the figures from the previous outbreak before the latest data. Health officials report infections across 54 health zones within six provinces, with Ituri remaining the primary transmission hotspot, responsible for most confirmed cases.
The current outbreak was officially announced on May 15 after laboratory confirmation of Bundibugyo virus disease. This marks the 17th recorded Ebola outbreak in DRC since the virus was first identified in 1976. On May 17, the World Health Organization designated the situation as a public health emergency of international concern. No licensed vaccine or specific approved treatment is available for Bundibugyo virus disease. Medical teams rely on supportive care, isolation, testing, contact tracing, and infection prevention strategies.
Ebola Continues to Spread Across Six DRC Provinces
The outbreak has now reached the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo, and Bas-Uélé. 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 had documented 965 recoveries nationwide. Response teams are also monitoring thousands of contacts associated with confirmed cases to identify new transmission chains.
Healthcare workers face direct exposure risks during patient treatment and outbreak management. As of Aug. 9, authorities confirmed at least 155 infections among health workers, including 45 fatalities. Insecurity and population displacement have hampered medical efforts in several affected regions, with attacks on health facilities disrupting surveillance and treatment activities. The World Health Organization supports testing, infection control, case management, and other response efforts alongside local health authorities.
Ebola Death Toll Surpasses Previous Records as Response Efforts Scale Up
Health agencies have expanded laboratory testing, surveillance, and treatment capabilities across impacted provinces. Efforts include contact tracing, managing confirmed cases, and conducting safe burials. Community outreach remains vital in regions with active transmission. Researchers are also investigating experimental vaccines and therapies for Bundibugyo virus disease. A clinical trial testing potential treatments began enrolling confirmed patients in Ituri in July, though these products have yet to receive approval for routine use against the virus.
Cases outside DRC have also been reported, with Uganda recording 20 cases and two deaths before discharging its last patient in July. France reported a single imported case without secondary transmission documented. The DRC outbreak now ranks second globally in Ebola-related fatalities, following the 2014 to 2016 West Africa epidemic, which resulted in 11,310 deaths and 28,616 cases across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, according to official records.