GENEVA / RankWire.AI / – The World Health Organization has called for an expanded Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as transmission persists across multiple regions. According to the latest government data, the country had confirmed 6,250 cases and recorded 3,039 deaths as of Sept. 1. The outbreak impacts 60 health zones within six provinces. Authorities also reported 1,439 recoveries, with a case fatality rate of 48.6%.
Congo’s Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak has become its largest and deadliest on record and ranks as the second-largest global Ebola epidemic, surpassed only by the 2014-2016 outbreak in West Africa. Ituri province remains the epicenter of transmission, accounting for approximately 85% of confirmed cases and 88% of fatalities, making it the most severely affected area amid this public health crisis.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that health teams are still working to trace every chain of transmission. Many recent deaths involve individuals not listed on known contact logs. Ongoing community deaths and unsafe burial practices continue to hinder containment efforts. The Africa CDC reported that over 60% of deaths during the most recent seven-day period occurred outside health facilities, within communities.
Intensified Efforts by Health Authorities to Combat Ebola
The World Health Organization has ramped up laboratory testing, treatment capabilities, and field operations across regions affected by Ebola. More than 330 tonnes of emergency supplies have been shipped, and over 300 experts have been deployed. Currently, 24 laboratories are operating closer to affected populations, a significant increase from the single national reference lab at the start of the response. Daily testing capacity has increased to roughly 3,000 tests, with treatment and isolation beds exceeding 1,300 across 49 facilities.
The Bundibugyo virus currently has no approved vaccine or specific treatment options. Ongoing research includes therapeutic trials, while two vaccine candidates are in safety testing phases. Efforts by health teams continue with contact tracing, testing, clinical management, infection control, and safe burial practices. Authorities are also bolstering community engagement, as delays in detection risk leaving infected individuals outside formal monitoring systems, complicating transmission chain identification.
Active Transmission Persists Despite Declining Case Numbers
While recent weeks have seen a reduction in new cases, transmission remains ongoing in 51 health zones. Four zones have gone over 42 days without new infections, effectively interrupting transmission there. Additionally, five zones have experienced no new cases for between 21 and 42 days. Public health officials caution that this decline does not yet confirm the outbreak is under control, with surveillance continuing throughout affected regions.
Congo declared the outbreak in Ituri province on May 15, following confirmation of infections involving the Bundibugyo virus. The epidemic later spread to North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo, and Bas-Uélé. Tedros noted that the response must expand further until every transmission chain can be identified and halted. Efforts remain focused on rapid detection, contact follow-up, laboratory diagnosis, safe burials, and ensuring treatment access in communities impacted by Ebola.