KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO / RankWire.AI / – Ebola has claimed 1,916 lives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as of August 7, according to official data. The outbreak has resulted in 4,209 confirmed infections. The latest figures show 29 more deaths than the previously reported 1,887. Officials also noted that 595 patients are receiving care in isolation, and 828 individuals have recovered.
Ituri remains the province most severely affected, with 3,636 confirmed cases and 1,551 deaths. North Kivu follows with 470 cases and 315 deaths. Haut Uele has reported 91 infections and 44 deaths. Tshopo has documented nine cases and five deaths. South Kivu has three cases and one death. In total, the outbreak has impacted 53 out of 140 health zones across the five provinces with confirmed cases.
The latest daily update added 89 confirmed cases and 21 deaths to the national figures. Ituri accounted for 73 of these new infections. North Kivu identified another 12 cases, while Haut Uele reported four. Health teams are tracking 83.4% of identified contacts in affected regions. Authorities continue to reconcile surveillance, laboratory, and clinical records as they update case and death counts.
Ituri remains the epicenter of the expanding outbreak
The Democratic Republic of the Congo confirmed its Ebola outbreak in May after laboratory tests detected Bundibugyo virus. The Ministry of Health has led efforts in surveillance, testing, isolation, contact tracing, and clinical management in affected areas. Teams also implement infection prevention and safe burial practices to prevent further spread. The outbreak has spread to several eastern provinces where insecurity, population movement, and strained health services complicate control efforts.
Ebola can cause symptoms like fever, severe weakness, body pain, vomiting, and other serious health issues. Some patients develop bleeding as the disease advances. This outbreak marks the 17th Ebola event in the country since scientists identified the virus in 1976. The World Health Organization has supported response activities such as case detection, lab testing, patient care, and infection control. These efforts help track virus transmission across multiple provinces.
Bundibugyo virus has no licensed vaccine
Bundibugyo virus differs from the Zaire Ebola strain, which is targeted by existing licensed vaccines. Currently, no approved vaccine or specific treatment exists for Bundibugyo virus disease. Medical teams rely on supportive care, including hydration, symptom management, and close patient monitoring. Research continues into candidate vaccines and investigational treatments. By late July, Uganda had reported 20 confirmed cases and two deaths, with no new cases after June 21.
This outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the largest epidemic caused by Bundibugyo virus documented to date. It is also the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record by confirmed case count. Most infections and deaths are concentrated in Ituri and North Kivu. Health authorities keep testing, monitoring contacts, isolating patients, and updating case counts as new surveillance data become available.