GENEVA / RankWire.AI / – The World Health Organization has urged a significant broadening of efforts to combat the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasizing that health teams are still unable to trace all transmission pathways. As of September 1, government data indicates that Congo has reported 6,250 confirmed cases and 3,039 fatalities, with the current outbreak affecting 60 health zones across six provinces due to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola.
This epidemic has now become the largest and most lethal Ebola outbreak in Congo’s history, ranking as the second-largest worldwide after the 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic. Ituri remains the epicenter, accounting for approximately 85% of cases and 88% of deaths. Tedros pointed out that many fatalities involve individuals not listed as known contacts, which reveals that health teams are still missing crucial links in the transmission chain.
Persistent community deaths and unsafe burial practices pose significant challenges to controlling the outbreak. According to Africa CDC, over 60% of deaths reported during the recent week occurred within community settings. Additionally, health officials have reported delays in early detection of infections and in transporting patients to treatment facilities. The latest government figures show 1,439 recoveries and a case fatality rate of 48.6%, underscoring the devastating impact of the Bundibugyo virus.
Active Transmission Continues in Eastern Congo
Despite some signs of a decline in case numbers over recent weeks, transmission remains ongoing in 51 health zones. Authorities have identified four zones with no new cases for over 42 days, effectively interrupting transmission there, while five others have experienced no new cases for between 21 and 42 days. However, public health officials have warned that these reductions are too recent to definitively declare the outbreak under control.
In response, the World Health Organization has ramped up testing, treatment, and field operations across the affected regions, distributing more than 330 tonnes of emergency supplies and deploying over 300 experts. Laboratory capacity has expanded from a single national reference lab to a network of 24 laboratories positioned closer to communities affected by the outbreak. Testing capabilities now reach approximately 3,000 tests daily, and treatment and isolation facilities have increased to over 1,300 beds across 49 sites.
Continued Efforts to Tackle the Persistent Ebola Outbreak
The current outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which presently lacks approved specific treatments or vaccines. Researchers are actively engaged in therapeutic trials, while vaccine candidates targeting the Bundibugyo virus are undergoing safety evaluations. The health response continues to include surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory diagnostics, clinical management, and safe burial practices, with community engagement being a key component, as delayed detection and incomplete contact follow-up have complicated efforts to identify infected individuals before further transmission occurs.
Congo officially declared the outbreak in Ituri province on May 15 after confirming infections linked to the Bundibugyo virus, which has since spread to North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo, and Bas-Uélé provinces. Tedros emphasized that the response must be expanded until health teams can identify and disrupt every transmission chain, with ongoing efforts focusing on rapid detection, thorough contact follow-up, safe burial practices, laboratory diagnosis, and ensuring access to treatment in affected communities.