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The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that a deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is continuing to spread quickly, despite an expanding international response aimed at containing the virus.
The outbreak, declared on May 15, is concentrated mainly in northeastern DRC, especially in the Ituri province, with additional cases reported in North Kivu and South Kivu.
Health authorities say there have been 896 confirmed cases so far, including 232 deaths, with new infections continuing to appear daily. The WHO reported 21 new cases within a recent 24-hour period, indicating ongoing transmission in affected communities.
The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine.
WHO officials described the situation as “serious” and rapidly evolving, noting that the outbreak is expanding faster than response teams can fully control.
Despite this, emergency operations have scaled up significantly. Treatment capacity has increased to more than 500 beds, and testing capabilities now exceed 2,000 samples per day. Contact tracing efforts have also improved, with around 75% of known contacts being monitored, though health officials say 95% coverage is needed to control the outbreak effectively.
Neighboring Uganda has also reported infections linked to the outbreak, with 19 confirmed cases and two deaths. However, no new cases have been recorded there for more than a week, raising cautious optimism that transmission may be slowing in that country.
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