The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has killed nearly 2,700 people and infected more than 5,500 in roughly 100 days, making it the deadliest such crisis in the country’s history.
As of August 22, the DRC reported 5,514 confirmed cases and 2,642 deaths from the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, according to data published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Fifty-five new cases were reported in a single day, with 36 additional deaths. The outbreak has spread across 57 of 151 health zones in six provinces.
Ituri Province Hardest Hit
Ituri province bears the brunt of the crisis, accounting for 4,607 cases and 2,065 deaths across 28 of its 36 health zones. North Kivu follows with 714 cases and 490 deaths, while Haut-Uele has recorded 173 cases and 77 deaths. Smaller clusters have emerged in Tshopo, South Kivu, and Bas-Uele.
Africa CDC has warned the outbreak is “growing exponentially” and called for a stronger international response. The WHO and Africa CDC jointly launched a $518 million response plan, though questions remain about funding after the United States withdrew from the WHO earlier this year.
Frontline Workers Under Pressure
The response effort is struggling with significant operational challenges. Frontline health workers in affected provinces have reported going unpaid for weeks, while the rate of case isolation remains critically low. US CDC modeling suggests that if fewer than 20 percent of cases are isolated within two days of symptom onset, the outbreak could exceed 20,000 cases within three months.
Uganda, which experienced a secondary wave of cases linked to cross-border travel from the DRC, declared itself Ebola-free on July 28 after discharging its last patient. Imported cases have also been recorded in Germany and France, involving humanitarian workers evacuated from affected areas.
The Bundibugyo virus, first identified in Uganda in 2007, is less lethal than the Zaire strain that caused the devastating 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic. However, its slower progression can make detection harder, allowing wider community spread before cases are identified.
Sources: ECDC; Africa CDC; WHO; CDC; topafricanews.com
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