KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO / RankWire.AI / – Ebola has claimed the highest number of lives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, making it the deadliest outbreak ever documented in the country. According to government data updated as of Aug. 16, there have been 4,945 confirmed cases and 2,325 fatalities. In the last 24 hours alone, authorities reported an additional 101 confirmed infections. This death toll surpasses the 2,299 fatalities recorded during the Ebola epidemic from 2018 to 2020 in the DRC.
The disease continues to spread across eastern regions of the DRC since the outbreak was officially declared in May. United Nations humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher indicated that Ebola is causing approximately one death every 30 minutes. The total number of cases has already exceeded the figures from the previous outbreak before the latest report. Health officials have identified infections in 54 health zones across six provinces, with Ituri remaining the primary hub of transmission, accounting for most confirmed cases.
The current outbreak was declared on May 15 following laboratory confirmation of Bundibugyo virus disease. It represents the 17th recorded Ebola outbreak 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. As of now, there is no licensed vaccine or specific approved treatment for Bundibugyo virus disease. Medical teams are relying on supportive care, isolation, testing, contact tracing, and infection prevention measures to control the spread.
Ebola Crisis Extends Across Six Provinces in the DRC
Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo, and Bas-Uélé are the provinces affected by the outbreak. Bas-Uélé became the sixth province to be impacted after officials confirmed a case in the Buta health zone, where the patient had traveled from Haut-Uélé prior to symptom onset. By Aug. 12, health authorities had documented 965 recoveries nationwide. Response teams continue to monitor thousands of contacts of confirmed cases as they work to identify new transmission chains.
Health workers face significant risks during treatment and outbreak mitigation efforts. Confirmed infections among medical staff reached at least 155 by Aug. 9, with 45 fatalities among them. Ongoing insecurity and displacement have hindered medical operations in several affected areas. Attacks on health facilities have further disrupted surveillance and treatment services in parts of eastern DRC. The World Health Organization supports testing, infection control, case management, and other response activities alongside national health authorities.
Escalating Response as Ebola Deaths Set New Record
Health officials have ramped up laboratory testing, surveillance, and treatment capabilities across affected regions. Efforts continue in contact tracing, case management, and safe burial practices. Community engagement remains vital in areas with active transmission. Researchers are investigating experimental vaccines and therapies for Bundibugyo virus disease, with a clinical trial enrolling confirmed patients in Ituri starting in July. These potential treatments have not yet received regulatory approval for routine use against the virus.
The outbreak’s impact has extended beyond the DRC borders, with Uganda reporting 20 cases and two deaths before discharging its last patient in July. France also recorded one imported case without secondary transmission. Currently, the DRC outbreak ranks second globally in Ebola-related deaths, 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 established records.