BUNIA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO / RankWire.AI / – World Health Organization indicates that the Ebola outbreak in Congo could be controlled within three months if adequate resources are provided to response teams. According to the latest official figures, there have been 5,021 confirmed cases and 2,378 fatalities as of Aug. 16, with cases spanning 55 health zones across six provinces and a case fatality ratio reaching 47.4%. This makes it the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the nation’s history and the second-largest Ebola epidemic recorded globally.
Thierno Baldé, WHO incident manager, emphasized that meeting the three-month target hinges on securing necessary resources. The agency has received approximately $69.3 million of the $115 million it estimates is needed, or about 60%. Over the past two weeks, response teams added more than 400 treatment beds and deployed 100 additional epidemiologists along with over 500 community health workers to enhance surveillance and contact tracing efforts. The response effort also depends on vehicles, ambulances, medical supplies, and personnel across an expanding affected region.
Transmission has now reached Bas-Uélé, marking it as the sixth affected province. As of Aug. 12, Ituri accounted for 85% of confirmed cases and 79% of reported deaths nationwide. Officials reported that 70% to 80% of new cases had no known link to existing patients. To speed up case identification and patient transfer, health teams are expanding surveillance efforts. The first confirmed case in Bas-Uélé traveled from Haut-Uélé before symptoms appeared on Aug. 4.
Expanded Response in Affected Regions
The Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene and Social Welfare of the Democratic Republic of the Congo declared the outbreak on May 15. Laboratory tests conducted in Kinshasa confirmed the presence of Bundibugyo virus, a rarer Ebola strain first identified in western Uganda in 2007. This represents Congo’s 17th recorded Ebola outbreak since the virus was first identified in 1976. Uganda has reported 20 confirmed cases and two deaths, with no new cases since June 21. These cases included imported infections and secondary transmissions among contacts and healthcare workers.
Bundibugyo virus currently has no licensed vaccine or approved specific treatment. Consequently, care emphasizes early detection, supportive treatment, infection control, contact tracing, and safe burials. Authorities are expanding community outreach to help identify cases early, especially where patients seek help outside formal health facilities. Response teams have trained local workers and provided hygiene supplies to reduce exposure during transport and body handling. Early supportive care can significantly improve survival chances for Bundibugyo virus disease patients.
Funding Shortfall and Surveillance Challenges
While contact monitoring has improved, it still falls short of public health targets in several regions. On Aug. 12, teams tracked 17,460 of 20,740 contacts, achieving an follow-up rate of 84.2%. To boost detection and shorten the interval between symptom onset and care, health officials have deployed more field epidemiologists and are engaging community workers to report suspected cases and connect patients with treatment centers. As of Aug. 9, 155 health worker infections and 45 deaths have been recorded.
The WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17. Ongoing surveillance, laboratory testing, clinical care, safe burials, and community engagement continue with support from national authorities and international partners. Baldé linked the three-month containment plan directly to resource acquisition. Since then, the weekly count has risen by 640 confirmed cases and 367 confirmed deaths since Aug. 9. The response efforts face additional challenges due to insecurity and attacks on health services in eastern Congo.