DR Congo: Ebola outbreak still expanding, WHO sees signs of stabilization

What the report says

UN News reported that health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and international partners are trying to contain a fast-expanding Ebola outbreak in the country’s east, even as insecurity complicates surveillance and treatment. Citing DRC Government figures as of 19 July, the report said there were 2,423 confirmed cases, including 967 deaths and 469 recoveries, across five provinces: Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele and Tshopo.

According to Dr. Thierno Baldé, the World Health Organization’s incident manager, Ituri remains the main centre of transmission, with more than 90 percent of cases and 80 percent of deaths. Speaking from Bunia, he said the Bundibugyo virus variant is reaching new areas in a region affected by militia violence, displacement and population movement. The outbreak was declared on 15 May, and UN News described it as the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak recorded.

WHO teams are prioritizing safe burials, referral systems, clinical care and rapid response deployments in the most active zones. Dr. Baldé said five cases in Kisangani, Tshopo province, were imported from Ituri and that no secondary cases had been found there so far. WHO also plans similar response measures in other emerging areas, including Katwa and Butembo, and is developing controls along the Congo River, a major transport route.

The report noted some signs of stabilization in Mongbwalu, where the outbreak was first identified, and in Goma in North Kivu. However, WHO officials cautioned that the response is still trying to catch up. The Bundibugyo strain is less common, has no approved vaccine or treatment, and can initially resemble flu before progressing to severe Ebola disease.