KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO / RankWire.AI / – The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has become the deadliest in the country’s history, with the death toll reaching 2,325. As of Aug. 16, government data indicated there have been 4,945 confirmed cases, including the 101 new infections reported in the last 24 hours. This latest death count surpasses the 2,299 fatalities recorded during the Ebola epidemic from 2018 to 2020 in the country.
Since its declaration in May, the outbreak has continued to expand throughout eastern DRC. United Nations humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher stated that Ebola is claiming approximately one life every 30 minutes. The number of cases had already exceeded the total from the 2018-2020 outbreak before the recent figures emerged. Health authorities report infections across 54 health zones in six provinces, with Ituri remaining the primary transmission hub, accounting for the majority of confirmed cases.
The current outbreak was officially announced on May 15 after laboratory results confirmed Bundibugyo virus disease. This marks the 17th Ebola outbreak recorded in the DRC since the virus’s discovery in 1976. On May 17, the World Health Organization classified the situation as a public health emergency of international concern. No licensed vaccine or specific approved treatment exists for Bundibugyo virus disease. Instead, medical teams rely on supportive care, isolation protocols, testing, contact tracing, and infection prevention strategies.
Ebola Spreading Across Six Provinces in the DRC
The virus has now reached Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo, and Bas-Uélé provinces. Bas-Uélé was identified as the sixth affected region after a case was confirmed in the Buta health zone. The individual had traveled from Haut-Uélé prior to developing symptoms. By Aug. 12, health officials had recorded 965 recoveries nationwide. Meanwhile, response teams continue monitoring thousands of contacts of confirmed cases to identify new transmission chains.
Frontline health workers face risks daily, with confirmed infections among them reaching at least 155 by Aug. 9, including 45 fatalities. Ongoing insecurity and population displacements have hindered medical efforts in several affected zones. Attacks targeting health facilities have also disrupted surveillance and treatment activities in parts of eastern DRC. The World Health Organization supports testing, infection control, case management, and other response measures alongside national health authorities.
Escalating Response as Ebola Death Toll Breaks Previous Records
Efforts to contain the outbreak include expanding laboratory testing, enhancing surveillance, and increasing treatment capacity across affected provinces. Teams continue contact tracing, managing confirmed cases, and conducting safe burials. Community outreach remains vital in areas with ongoing transmission. Researchers are also exploring experimental vaccines and treatments for Bundibugyo virus disease; a clinical trial enrolling confirmed patients in Ituri began in July. These investigational products have not yet received approval for widespread use against the virus.
Confirmed cases have also been reported outside the DRC. Uganda identified 20 cases and two deaths before discharging its last patient in July. France reported a single imported case without documented secondary transmissions. The DRC outbreak now ranks as the second deadliest Ebola event globally, following the 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic, which caused 11,310 deaths and 28,616 cases across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, according to established outbreak records.