BUNIA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO / RankWire.AI / – The World Health Organization states that Congo’s Ebola outbreak could be contained within three months if enough resources are allocated to response efforts. The latest official update reports 5,021 confirmed cases and 2,378 deaths as of Aug. 16. The virus has now affected 55 health zones across six provinces, and the case fatality ratio has reached 47.4%. This makes it the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the country’s history, and the second-largest Ebola epidemic recorded worldwide.
Thierno Baldé, the WHO incident manager, emphasized that the three-month goal relies heavily on acquiring necessary resources. The organization has received approximately $69.3 million of the $115 million needed, which is about 60%. Over the past two weeks, teams added more than 400 treatment beds. They also deployed 100 additional epidemiologists and over 500 community health workers for surveillance and contact tracing. The response effort requires vehicles, ambulances, medical supplies, and personnel across the expanding affected regions.
Transmission has now reached Bas-Uélé, making it the sixth affected province. As of Aug. 12, Ituri accounted for 85% of confirmed cases and 79% of deaths nationwide. Officials reported that 70% to 80% of new cases have no known link to existing patients. To speed up case identification, health teams are expanding surveillance and transferring patients to treatment centers. The first confirmed case in Bas-Uélé traveled from Haut-Uélé before symptoms appeared on Aug. 4.
Efforts intensify across affected regions
The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene and Social Welfare announced the outbreak on May 15. Lab tests in Kinshasa confirmed Bundibugyo virus, a rarer Ebola strain first identified in western Uganda in 2007. This marks Congo’s 17th Ebola outbreak since the virus was first identified in 1976. Uganda has reported 20 confirmed cases and two deaths, with no new cases there since June 21. These cases included imported infections and secondary transmissions among contacts and health workers.
Bundibugyo virus currently lacks a licensed vaccine or specific approved treatment. Care mainly involves early detection, supportive treatment, infection control, contact tracing, and safe burials. Officials are also boosting community outreach efforts, especially where patients might seek help outside formal health services. Response teams have trained local workers and provided hygiene supplies to minimize exposure during transport and body handling. Early supportive care can increase the chances of survival for patients infected with Bundibugyo virus disease.
Funding shortfalls persist as surveillance expands
Contact monitoring has improved but still falls short of public health targets in some affected areas. On Aug. 12, teams followed 17,460 of 20,740 listed contacts, achieving an 84.2% follow-up rate nationwide. Health officials have deployed more field epidemiologists to improve detection and reduce the time from symptoms to care. Community workers are also being used to report suspected cases and connect patients with treatment centers. By Aug. 9, officials recorded 155 infections among health workers and 45 deaths.
WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17. National authorities and international partners continue efforts such as surveillance, laboratory testing, clinical care, safe burials, and community engagement. Baldé emphasized that the three-month containment estimate depends on securing the needed resources. Since then, the weekly count has included 640 new confirmed cases and 367 new confirmed deaths since Aug. 9. The response remains ongoing despite challenges posed by insecurity and attacks on health services in eastern Congo.