The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ebola outbreak has passed 5,000 confirmed cases, with the rapidly spreading disease now responsible for more than 2,300 deaths in what has become the country’s largest and deadliest Ebola outbreak on record.
The latest figures show 5,021 confirmed cases and 2,378 deaths, according to data reported by the World Health Organization’s Regional Office for Africa and reflected in an update from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control on 18 August. The figures cover data through 16 August. A total of 1,061 patients have recovered, while 751 people remain hospitalised in isolation.
The outbreak is being driven by the Bundibugyo virus, a relatively rare Ebola species for which there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments.
Ituri remains the epicentre
Ituri province continues to bear the overwhelming burden of the outbreak, accounting for 4,257 of the confirmed cases and 1,878 deaths.
Cases have also been recorded in North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele, Tshopo and Bas-Uele. In total, 55 of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s 151 health zones across six provinces have been affected.
North Kivu has recorded 607 cases and 428 deaths, while Haut-Uele has reported 139 cases and 63 deaths. Tshopo has recorded 14 cases and seven deaths, and Bas-Uele has reported one confirmed case and one death.
Authorities are also struggling to keep track of people who may have been exposed to the virus. Only about 82% of identified contacts were under follow-up in the latest reporting period, below the levels health officials say are needed to rapidly identify new chains of transmission.
WHO warns the outbreak is moving faster than the response
The WHO and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention have repeatedly warned that the response needs to be accelerated.
During a joint mission to the DRC earlier this month, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the outbreak was outpacing response efforts in some parts of eastern DRC.
“In some areas of eastern DRC, the Ebola outbreak is outpacing our response, making it imperative that we rapidly scale up every aspect of our efforts to contain it,” Tedros said.
He called for greater resources, stronger international support and safe access for health workers and responders.
Africa CDC Director-General Dr Jean Kaseya stressed that communities would be central to stopping the spread.
“Containing and ultimately stopping this outbreak will come from communities,” Kaseya said, calling for trusted information, early reporting of symptoms and access to care without fear.
WHO and Africa CDC have called for stronger surveillance, faster contact tracing, expanded treatment and laboratory capacity, better support for frontline health workers and improved access to affected communities.
Why the outbreak is proving difficult to contain
The outbreak was officially declared on 15 May after the Bundibugyo virus was identified in Ituri Province.
Since then, the virus has spread rapidly through areas where health services are already under severe pressure. Armed conflict, population movement, poor roads, misinformation, community resistance and shortages of resources have all complicated efforts to find cases and trace their contacts.
WHO said earlier this month that health workers and communities were operating under “extremely difficult conditions”, with delayed detection, limited access to healthcare and resistance to some response measures slowing containment efforts.
Health workers themselves have also been affected. Earlier WHO data recorded confirmed infections among frontline personnel, while reports have highlighted pressure on health facilities and difficulties maintaining the workforce.
The latest situation has been further complicated by the fact that many infections are being detected outside established monitoring networks, making traditional contact tracing more difficult.
A growing regional concern
The DRC outbreak has already crossed international borders.
Uganda recorded 20 confirmed cases and two deaths after an imported case linked to the DRC, but its health ministry declared the outbreak over on 28 July after successfully containing local transmission. WHO and Africa CDC have praised Uganda’s response while warning that continued transmission in the DRC means neighbouring countries remain at risk.
There have also been imported cases linked to the DRC in Europe, including cases involving patients treated in Germany and France. However, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control says the likelihood of infection for people living in the EU and European Economic Area remains very low.
WHO and Africa CDC have advised against unnecessary restrictions on travel and trade, instead calling for stronger surveillance, laboratory readiness and cross-border coordination.
The latest picture
As of 20 August, the DRC is facing its 17th Ebola outbreak and the largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded in the country by confirmed cases.
The 5,021 confirmed cases have already surpassed the 3,317 cases recorded during the country’s 2018-2020 Ebola outbreak. The death toll of 2,378 has also overtaken the previous national record of 2,299 deaths.
Health authorities are now racing to expand testing, isolation, treatment, contact tracing and community engagement before the virus spreads further.
The WHO has warned that the scale and speed of transmission require an urgent expansion of the response, with the success of the campaign ultimately depending not only on medical interventions but also on gaining the trust and cooperation of affected communities.
