KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO / RankWire.AI / – According to official data through August 7, the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has resulted in 1,916 deaths. Authorities have documented a total of 4,209 infections during this period. The current death toll exceeds the previous figure of 1,887 by 29. Additionally, 595 individuals are receiving treatment in isolation, and 828 have recovered from the disease.
Ituri remains the province most affected, with 3,636 confirmed cases and 1,551 fatalities. North Kivu follows with 470 cases and 315 deaths. Haut Uele has reported 91 infections and 44 deaths, while Tshopo has seen nine cases and five deaths. South Kivu’s numbers include three cases and a single death. The outbreak now spans 53 out of 140 health zones across the five provinces reporting confirmed cases.
The latest daily report added 89 new confirmed cases and 21 deaths to the national total. Of these new cases, 73 were in Ituri. North Kivu identified an additional 12 cases, while Haut Uele confirmed four. Health teams are monitoring 83.4% of identified contacts across affected regions. Authorities are actively reconciling data from surveillance, laboratories, and clinical records as they revise case and mortality figures.
Ituri remains the epicenter of the expanding outbreak
The Democratic Republic of the Congo declared the outbreak in May following laboratory confirmation of the Bundibugyo virus. The Ministry of Health has led efforts in surveillance, testing, isolation, contact tracing, and clinical care across impacted areas. Measures also include infection prevention protocols and safe burial procedures to curb further spread. The outbreak has extended across several eastern provinces, where insecurity, population mobility, and overwhelmed health systems can hinder routine disease control efforts.
Ebola can cause symptoms such as fever, intense weakness, body pain, vomiting, and other severe manifestations. As the disease advances, some patients may experience bleeding. This outbreak is the 17th recorded Ebola incident in the country since scientists first identified the virus in 1976. The World Health Organization has supported response activities, including case detection, laboratory testing, patient care, and infection control, as health teams track transmission across multiple provinces.
Bundibugyo virus currently lacks a licensed vaccine
Bundibugyo virus differs from the Zaire Ebola species targeted by existing licensed vaccines. There is no currently licensed vaccine or specifically approved treatment for Bundibugyo virus disease. Medical teams primarily rely on supportive care, which includes hydration, symptom management, and close patient monitoring. Ongoing research is evaluating candidate vaccines and investigational treatments. By late July, Uganda had recorded 20 confirmed Bundibugyo cases and two deaths, with no new confirmed cases reported after June 21.
The outbreak caused by Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the largest documented to date. It has also become the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record by confirmed case count. Most infections and deaths are concentrated in Ituri and North Kivu. Health authorities continue laboratory testing, contact monitoring, patient isolation, and care, updating national totals as new data becomes available from ongoing surveillance efforts.