The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has become the deadliest in the country’s history, with at least 2,325 people killed, according to government data. This toll surpasses the 2,299 deaths recorded during the 2018-2020 outbreak, which was previously the worst on record.
The DRC’s National Public Health Institute reported on Sunday that confirmed cases have risen to 4,945, including 101 new cases detected in the previous 24 hours. This marks the DRC’s 17th Ebola outbreak, and officials say it is the fastest growing in the known history of the virus.
Rapid Growth and High Mortality
The current epidemic is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments. While a small number of experimental therapies and vaccines are being evaluated, evidence remains limited to animal studies.
Government data indicates a sharp rise in the case fatality ratio, which climbed from approximately 20 percent in early June to 46 percent. This means nearly one in every two confirmed cases is now fatal.
United Nations humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher warned on Friday that Ebola is winning in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
stating that the epidemic is now killing one person every 30 minutes. Fletcher called for speed, scale, and solidarity
to prevent the virus from getting further ahead of the response.
Regional Impact and Spread
The outbreak was officially declared on May 15 and was designated a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization (WHO) in May. The virus has affected 55 health zones across six provinces:
- Ituri (where the outbreak was first reported)
- North Kivu
- Haut-Uele
- Tshopo
- South Kivu
- Bas-Uele
Ituri province has been the hardest hit, accounting for approximately 80% of the deaths and 90% of the cases in the DRC, with more than 3,400 cases recorded there.
The virus also spread to neighboring Uganda, where 20 cases were confirmed in the capital, Kampala. Uganda reported two deaths before declaring an end to its outbreak last month.
Barriers to Containment
Health officials cite several factors hindering the response, including weak health infrastructure, the remoteness of the region, and ongoing conflict near the DRC’s borders with Rwanda, Uganda, and South Sudan.
Response efforts have been further compromised by:
- Misinformation claiming Ebola is not real.
- Threats from rebel groups.
- Strikes by unpaid health workers.
In Nizi, a heavily affected health zone in Ituri province, health workers at the Nizi Treatment Center went on strike on Thursday, leading to the facility’s temporary closure. One surveillance officer, Gédéon Banga Ngbape, stated that some health workers have not been paid in more than three months.
Surveillance and Treatment Challenges
Public health specialists warn that the surveillance system is failing to keep pace with the virus. Between 60% and 70% of new cases are being detected among people who were not already being monitored as contacts.
Thomas Parisch, a public health specialist with Doctors Without Borders (MSF), noted that while the case fatality ratio normally falls as contact tracing improves, the DRC is seeing many cases detected very late. Parisch said many patients are only identified after they die in the community, at which point treatment is less likely to succeed.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated last Wednesday that the outbreak is already the second-biggest Ebola epidemic on record and, at its current pace, is on track to eclipse the 2014-2016 West African outbreak, which killed more than 11,000 people. To assist in the response, Tom Fletcher announced an additional $30.5 million in emergency funding.
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