GENEVA / RankWire.AI / – The World Health Organization has urged an extensive expansion of efforts to combat the Ebola crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, health teams are still working to identify every chain of transmission. As of Sept. 1, the Congolese government reports 6,250 confirmed cases and 3,039 fatalities. The ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak now impacts 60 health zones across six provinces.
This outbreak marks the largest and deadliest Ebola event in Congo’s history and ranks as the second-largest worldwide, following the 2014-2016 epidemic in West Africa. Ituri remains at the epicenter, accounting for approximately 85% of cases and 88% of deaths. Tedros emphasized that many deaths involve individuals not listed as known contacts, indicating that health teams are still missing some transmission links.
Challenges such as community deaths and unsafe burials are significant hurdles in controlling the outbreak. According to Africa CDC, over 60% of deaths during the most recent seven-day period occurred within communities. Health officials also report delays in early detection and in transferring patients to treatment centers. The latest government data reveals 1,439 recoveries and a case fatality rate of 48.6%, highlighting the severe impact of the Bundibugyo virus.
Transmission Continues in Eastern Congo
Even with signs of a decline in case numbers in recent weeks, active transmission persists in 51 health zones. Authorities have confirmed that four zones have gone more than 42 days without new cases, effectively interrupting transmission there. An additional five zones have experienced no new cases for between 21 and 42 days. However, public health officials warn that these decreases are too recent to confidently declare the outbreak under control.
The WHO has scaled up testing, treatment, and field operations in affected regions. Over 330 tonnes of emergency supplies have been dispatched, and more than 300 specialists deployed. Laboratory capacity has grown from a single national reference lab to a network of 24 labs situated closer to impacted communities. Testing now reaches approximately 3,000 tests daily, while treatment and isolation facilities have expanded to over 1,300 beds across 49 sites.
Response Efforts Continue as Outbreak Persists
The ongoing outbreak involves the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, which currently lacks approved specific treatments or vaccines. Researchers are engaged in therapeutic trials, and vaccine candidates targeting the Bundibugyo virus are under safety evaluations. Authorities maintain surveillance, conduct contact tracing, perform laboratory tests, provide clinical care, and carry out safe burials. Community engagement remains a priority, as delayed detection and incomplete contact follow-up continue to hinder efforts to identify infected individuals before further transmission occurs.
Congo announced the outbreak in Ituri province on May 15 following confirmation of infections linked to the Bundibugyo virus. Since then, the disease has spread across Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo, and Bas-Uélé provinces. Tedros stressed that the response must be intensified until all transmission chains can be identified and broken. Efforts continue to focus on rapid detection, follow-up of contacts, safe burials, laboratory diagnosis, and ensuring treatment access in affected communities.