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. Official data indicated 4,945 confirmed cases and 2,325 fatalities as of Aug. 16. Authorities reported 101 new confirmed infections over the past day. The death toll now surpasses the 2,299 lives lost during the 2018 to 2020 Ebola outbreak in DRC.
The disease has kept spreading in eastern DRC since the outbreak was announced in May. United Nations humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher stated Ebola was claiming approximately one person every 30 minutes. The total cases had already exceeded those from the 2018-2020 epidemic prior to this update. Health officials have reported cases in 54 health zones across six provinces. Ituri remains the epicenter, with most confirmed infections.
The outbreak was officially declared on May 15 after tests confirmed Bundibugyo virus disease. It marks the 17th Ebola outbreak in DRC since the virus was first identified in 1976. On May 17, the World Health Organization labeled the situation as a public health emergency of international concern. Currently, there is no licensed vaccine or approved specific treatment for Bundibugyo virus disease. Medical teams rely on supportive care, isolation, testing, contact tracing, and infection control measures.
Ebola spreads across six provinces in DRC
The outbreak has extended to Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo, and Bas-Uélé provinces. Bas-Uélé became the sixth affected area after officials confirmed a case in the Buta health zone. The patient had traveled from Haut-Uélé before symptoms appeared. By Aug. 12, health workers had reported 965 recoveries nationwide. Response teams also monitor thousands of contacts of confirmed patients to identify new chains of transmission.
Medical personnel face risks while treating patients and supporting outbreak responses. By Aug. 9, at least 155 health workers had been infected, with 45 deaths. Ongoing insecurity and displacement complicate medical efforts. Attacks on health facilities have hindered surveillance and treatment in eastern DRC. The World Health Organization supports testing, infection control, case management, and other response activities alongside local authorities.
Increasing Response as Ebola Death Toll Breaks Previous Records
Health agencies have expanded testing, surveillance, and treatment in affected areas. Teams continue contact tracing, manage confirmed cases, and perform safe burials. Community outreach remains vital in regions with ongoing transmission. Researchers are studying experimental vaccines and therapies for Bundibugyo virus disease. A clinical trial for potential treatments started enrolling patients in Ituri in July. These products have not yet been approved for routine use against the virus.
Confirmed cases have also been reported outside DRC. Uganda documented 20 cases and two deaths before treating its last patient in July. France reported one imported case with no secondary transmission documented. The DRC Ebola outbreak now ranks second worldwide in deaths after the 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic. That crisis caused 11,310 deaths and 28,616 cases across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, according to official records.