According to data collected up to July 11, the Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRCongo) registered a significant increase, totaling 702 deaths and 1,926 confirmed cases. Authorities reported that the current fatality rate remains at 36.4%.
Currently, there are 753 patients in isolation or receiving hospital treatment, while 318 people have recovered. The responsible Ministry emphasized that efforts continue to focus on strengthening early detection, improving medical care, and consolidating community participation.
Contact investigations are advancing by 78.3% in the eastern provinces of Ituri, considered the epicenter of the crisis, as well as North Kivu and South Kivu. Cases and deaths have also been detected in Tshopo and Haut-Uele, with most of these cases originating from Ituri.
The DRCongo National Institute of Public Health warned about the weekly growth of confirmed cases, which indicates continuous transmission within the population. This outbreak is linked to the Bundibugyo strain, which has a mortality rate ranging between 30% and 50%, and for which no specific vaccine or treatment is available.
The World Health Organization (WHO) assesses the risk of expansion in Sub-Saharan Africa as 'high', but the global risk remains 'low'. WHO protocols define the end of an Ebola outbreak if no new cases are identified for 42 consecutive days, which is double the incubation period of the virus.
The outbreak was formally declared on May 15 in the province of Ituri, which borders Uganda and South Sudan. The epidemic has also spread to Uganda, where 20 cases were confirmed, 15 of which were imported from the DRCongo, resulting in two deaths in that country.
The WHO estimated that the virus began circulating in Ituri about two months before the official declaration of the outbreak and classified the situation as a 'public health emergency of international concern' on May 17. This is the 17th Ebola outbreak to affect the DRCongo, making it the third worst recorded in history.
The current outbreak is surpassed only by outbreaks that occurred in West Africa between 2014 and 2016, which caused approximately 11 thousand deaths and 28 thousand cases, and another one in eastern Congo between 2018 and 2020, which resulted in 2,299 deaths and 3,481 cases.
The virus is transmitted through direct contact with body fluids of infected individuals or animals, manifesting severe symptoms such as hemorrhagic fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and internal bleeding.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the number of Ebola victims has reached 600 people. According to data from the country's Ministry of Health, the total number of confirmed cases is 1,759.
The situation is causing growing alarm as suspicious cases are now being detected even in regions where the disease was not previously reported. Specifically, two suspected Ebola infections have been identified in the city of Kisangani, which is the center of the Tshopo province in the north of the country. One case is linked to the outbreak in Ituri province, while the other has no connection to existing hotspots.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the virus is spreading rapidly due to issues related to population migration and security. Furthermore, some treatment centers are operating at near capacity. The situation is exacerbated by a shortage of medical personnel, as doctors and nurses claim they have not received salaries for several months since the epidemic was declared. A lack of protective equipment and harsh working conditions are also sources of discontent. Officials stated that measures are being taken to address these problems.
Experts emphasized that this epidemic is associated with the 'Bundibugyo' virus strain, and currently, there is no approved vaccine or effective treatment for this pathogen. Consequently, scientists began initial clinical trials against the disease last week and intensified research aimed at containing the spread of the virus.
According to the latest bulletin released by the INSP of the Democratic Republic of Congo, with data compiled up to June 27, the current mortality rate of the epidemic stands at 28.3%. Furthermore, contact tracing has reached 87.1%, while 178 individuals have recovered from the disease, and there are a total of 502 patients under isolation or hospitalization.
The INSP signaled ongoing challenges related to early access to healthcare and medical attention. It also warned about the difficulty in identifying new contagion cases without knowing their health origin, which may suggest a geographic expansion requiring more detailed investigation.
The outbreak was formally declared on May 15 in the Ituri province, a border area shared with Uganda and South Sudan, which is the epicenter of the epidemic, responsible for 91.4% of cases and 83.6% of deaths. However, the disease has also spread to the eastern Congolese provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu.
The epidemic reached Uganda, where 20 confirmed infections were identified, including 15 cases brought from the Democratic Republic of Congo, resulting in two deaths in that country. Additionally, the French Government confirmed the detection of the first positive case of the Ebola virus, belonging to a doctor returning from a mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
This outbreak is associated with the Bundibugyo strain, whose lethality rate ranges between 30% and 50%. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment for this strain. The WHO assesses the risk of the outbreak expanding in Sub-Saharan Africa as 'high' and globally as 'low.'
The WHO estimated that the virus began circulating in Ituri approximately two months before the official declaration of the outbreak and classified the situation as a 'public health emergency of international concern' on May 17. This is the third worst Ebola virus epidemic recorded to date. It ranks behind the epidemic that affected West Africa between 2014 and 2016, which caused about 11,000 deaths and 28,000 infections, and another occurrence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo between 2018 and 2020, which resulted in 2,299 deaths and 3,481 cases.
The Ebola virus is transmitted through direct contact with the body fluids of infected people or animals and manifests with severe hemorrhagic fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and internal bleeding.
