KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO / RankWire.AI / – The Ebola crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has become the deadliest in the country’s history. According to government figures, there have been 4,945 confirmed cases and 2,325 fatalities as of Aug. 16. Over the previous 24 hours, health officials documented 101 new confirmed infections. The death count now exceeds the 2,299 deaths recorded during the Ebola outbreak from 2018 to 2020 in the country.
These latest statistics heighten concerns raised earlier when cases and fatalities kept rising across eastern DRC. United Nations humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher noted that the virus was claiming one life every 30 minutes. Since the outbreak was officially declared in May, its spread has been unprecedented. Confirmed infections had already overtaken the total from the 2018-2020 outbreak by late July, making this the largest epidemic in the country by case number.
The outbreak was officially announced on May 15 following laboratory confirmation of Bundibugyo virus disease. It marks the 17th Ebola outbreak recorded in the DRC since the virus was first identified in 1976. The World Health Organization designated the situation as a public health emergency of international concern on May 17. Currently, there are no approved vaccines or targeted treatments for Bundibugyo virus disease, and medical teams rely on early detection, supportive care, isolation, contact tracing, and infection control measures.
Six Provinces Affected as Cases Surge
By Aug. 12, the outbreak had reached 54 health zones across six provinces: Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo, and Bas-Uélé. The latest province to be affected was Bas-Uélé, where authorities confirmed a case in the Buta health zone. The patient had traveled from Haut-Uélé prior to developing symptoms. Ituri remained the epicenter, accounting for approximately 85% of all confirmed cases nationwide at that time.
The epidemic has also impacted healthcare workers and strained medical services in affected regions. As of Aug. 9, at least 155 health workers had been infected, with 45 deaths reported. By Aug. 12, 965 patients had recovered. Efforts include monitoring over 17,000 contacts out of about 20,700 identified. Challenges such as insecurity, population displacement, and attacks on health facilities have complicated efforts in surveillance, treatment, and contact tracing.
Expanded Response as Fatalities Hit Record High
The national health authorities have ramped up testing, surveillance, and treatment capacity in affected zones. Response teams are also focusing on training healthcare workers and improving infection prevention at clinics. Continued activities include contact tracing, laboratory testing, safe burials, and community outreach. Researchers are testing experimental vaccines and treatments, although none have been approved for the Bundibugyo strain. A clinical trial for potential therapies began enrolling confirmed patients in Ituri in July, as the emergency response intensified.
Confirmed infections outside the DRC have also been recorded. Uganda identified 20 cases and two deaths, maintaining heightened surveillance after discharging their last patient in July. France reported one imported case with no secondary transmission documented. The DRC outbreak now ranks second only to the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola epidemic in total global deaths, which caused 11,310 fatalities and 28,616 cases across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.