DRC Ebola outbreak surpasses 1,000 cases as rare Bundibugyo strain spreads
The Democratic Republic of Congo has confirmed 1,003 Ebola cases and 254 deaths since the outbreak began on 15 May, with the rare Bundibugyo strain posing a containment challenge due to the lack of a vaccine.
Outbreak surpasses 1,000 cases
Just over a month after the Ebola outbreak was declared in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), confirmed cases have climbed to 1,003, with 254 fatalities, according to the health ministry. The case fatality rate stands at 25.3 percent. The numbers rose sharply over the weekend: 933 cases were reported on Friday, 956 on Saturday, and the 1,000 threshold was crossed by Sunday. Currently, 365 patients are receiving treatment in hospitals and isolation units, while 100 people have recovered.
A rare strain with no vaccine
The outbreak is driven by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, first identified in 2007. Unlike the more common Zaire strain, for which vaccines were developed in 2018–2019, there is no approved vaccine or specific therapy for Bundibugyo. Existing vaccines are effective only against the Zaire strain, which has historically caused the largest epidemics. The current outbreak is the 17th Ebola epidemic in DRC since the virus was discovered in 1976.
To stop the spread, 90 percent of contacts must be traced and monitored.
Contact tracing struggles amid conflict
Contact tracing remains far below the WHO's 90 percent target. Authorities have reached only 55 to 60 percent of people who had contact with infected individuals, leaving thousands untraced. More than 35,000 contacts still need to be identified, and the original index patient has not been found. The eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu, home to around 15 million people, are plagued by armed groups, including the M23 rebel movement, which controls large areas. This insecurity hampers health workers' access and complicates containment.
The peak of the epidemic has not yet been reached.
Regional spread and humanitarian fears
The virus has crossed into neighbouring Uganda, where the WHO has recorded 20 cases and two deaths, though some reports cite 19 cases. Ugandan authorities said earlier this month the situation was "under control." In eastern DRC, up to four million internally displaced people live in crowded camps with poor sanitation and limited healthcare. Experts warn that an outbreak in these camps would be catastrophic. Ebola treatment centres set up by the WHO and NGOs are already at 80 percent capacity, after local hospitals were quickly overwhelmed at the start of the epidemic.
- Ebola outbreak officially declared in DRC
- 933 confirmed cases reported
- 956 confirmed cases reported
- 1,003 confirmed cases, 254 deaths
International response
The WHO has declared a public health emergency of international concern and cautioned that the epidemic could last several months. The Africa CDC has repeatedly expressed alarm over the high number of untraced contacts. Health experts fear it could take at least a year to bring the outbreak under control, given the lack of a vaccine and the volatile security environment.
