GENEVA / RankWire.AI / – As of September 1, the World Health Organization has called for an expanded Ebola containment effort in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where transmission persists across multiple provinces. According to official government data, Congo has confirmed a total of 6,250 cases and 3,039 fatalities. The outbreak impacts 60 health zones within six different provinces, with authorities also reporting 1,439 recoveries and a case fatality rate of 48.6%.
The Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak now stands as Congo’s most extensive and deadliest epidemic on record, ranking as the second-largest Ebola outbreak worldwide after the 2014-2016 West Africa crisis. Ituri province remains the primary hub of ongoing transmission, accounting for roughly 85% of confirmed infections and 88% of deaths reported, thus representing the most severely affected region during this health emergency.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that health teams have yet to trace every chain of transmission. Many recent fatalities involve individuals not listed in known contact follow-ups. The persistence of community deaths and unsafe burials further complicates containment efforts. The Africa CDC reported that over 60% of fatalities during the past week occurred in community settings rather than healthcare facilities.
Response efforts to Ebola intensify among health authorities
In response, the World Health Organization has ramped up laboratory testing, treatment capacity, and field operations across the affected regions. They have delivered over 330 tonnes of emergency supplies and deployed more than 300 experts. Currently, health authorities operate 24 laboratories closer to affected communities, compared to the single national reference lab earlier in the outbreak response. Daily testing now exceeds 3,000 tests, with treatment and isolation facilities offering over 1,300 beds at 49 sites.
The Bundibugyo virus currently has no approved vaccine or specific treatment. Researchers are conducting therapeutic studies, and two vaccine candidates are in safety trials. Efforts continue in contact tracing, testing, clinical care, infection prevention, and safe burials. Community engagement initiatives are also being expanded because delayed detection can leave infected individuals outside formal monitoring, hampering the rapid identification of transmission chains.
Transmission persists despite declining case numbers
Transmission activity remains present in 51 health zones, although recent weeks have seen a decrease in new cases. Four zones have gone over 42 days without new infections, effectively halting transmission there. Another five zones have not reported new cases for between 21 and 42 days. Public health officials caution that this decline does not yet indicate that the outbreak is under control; surveillance efforts continue across all affected areas.
Congo announced the outbreak in Ituri province on May 15 after confirming infections involving the Bundibugyo virus. The epidemic subsequently spread to North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo, and Bas-Uélé, in addition to Ituri. Tedros highlighted that the response must expand until every transmission chain is identified and halted. Authorities are focusing on early detection, contact follow-up, laboratory diagnosis, safe burials, and ensuring access to treatment in Ebola-affected communities.