Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo The Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has become the deadliest ever recorded, with 4,566 confirmed cases and 2,128 related deaths as of 11 August, according to surveillance data compiled by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control from Congolese health ministry reporting.
The outbreak is caused by Bundibugyo virus, an Orthoebolavirus species for which no vaccine or specific treatment has been licensed. The World Health Organization said the epidemic spans five provinces, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele and Tshopo, across 49 health zones, and that 151 health workers had been infected and 44 had died as of 30 July.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on 6 August that in some areas of eastern DRC the outbreak “is outpacing our response, making it imperative we rapidly scale up efforts to contain it.” Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said containment “will come from communities. When people have information they trust, can report symptoms early and seek care without fear, we can break transmission chains.”
Uganda declared its linked outbreak over on 28 July after 20 confirmed cases and two deaths. Imported cases have been reported in Germany and France. Contact tracing follow-up in DRC stood at 75 percent against a 95 percent target.
Why it matters: An outbreak this size with no licensed vaccine raises preparedness costs, border screening and medicine supply pressure across the whole continent.
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