KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO / RankWire.AI / – According to official reports through August 7, the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo has resulted in 1,916 fatalities and 4,209 confirmed infections. This figure increases the death toll by 29 compared to the earlier report of 1,887. Additionally, health officials have recorded 595 patients in isolation, with 828 having recovered from the Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak.
The epidemic remains centered in Ituri, which has reported 3,636 confirmed cases and 1,551 deaths. North Kivu has documented 470 cases and 315 deaths. Haut Uele reports 91 cases with 44 fatalities, Tshopo has nine cases and five deaths, and South Kivu has recorded three cases and one death. Overall, the outbreak has impacted 53 of the 140 health zones spread across the five provinces affected.
On the latest day, 89 new confirmed cases and 21 deaths contributed to the growing national totals. Of these, 73 new infections were from Ituri, 12 from North Kivu, and four from Haut Uele. Officials also stated that 83.4% of identified contacts are under follow-up across the affected regions. Efforts to review and standardize case and death figures are ongoing as surveillance records are continuously updated.
Bundibugyo Virus Outbreak Spreads Across Eastern Regions
The Democratic Republic of the Congo confirmed the presence of the outbreak in May after laboratory tests identified Bundibugyo virus. The World Health Organization declared this outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17. The virus can cause symptoms such as fever, weakness, body pain, vomiting, and severe complications, including bleeding in some cases. This marks the country’s 17th Ebola outbreak since the virus was first identified in 1976.
In response, the Congolese Ministry of Health has mobilized teams for surveillance, testing, isolation, contact tracing, and clinical management. Infection control and safe burial procedures are being implemented to curb transmission. The efforts are focused on regions with insecurity and high population movement in eastern Congo. Health workers are actively monitoring contacts and investigating suspected cases across affected zones and along major travel routes.
No Approved Vaccine for Bundibugyo Virus
Unlike Ebola virus of the Zaire species, Bundibugyo virus currently lacks a licensed vaccine or officially approved treatment. Medical management mainly involves supportive care such as hydration, symptom relief, and careful clinical observation. Research initiatives are ongoing to evaluate potential vaccines and experimental treatments. Surveillance outside Congo has also detected infections; Uganda, for instance, reported 20 confirmed cases and two deaths by late July, with no new cases after June 21.
These latest figures position the 2026 outbreak as the largest ever caused by Bundibugyo virus. While transmission remains predominantly within DR Congo, especially in Ituri and North Kivu, the increasing case and death counts persist despite expanded surveillance, isolation, and contact monitoring. Authorities continue to focus on laboratory testing, case detection, patient treatment, and infection prevention while updating the national statistics as new surveillance data becomes available.