Democratic Republic of Congo raises Ebola death toll to 1,521, cases at 3,442

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has raised the death toll from the current Ebola outbreak to 1,521, with 3,442 confirmed cases. This epidemic, the 17th in the DRC's history, is rapidly approaching the severity of a previous outbreak in the country's east between 2018 and 2020, which recorded 2,299 deaths and 3,481 cases.

Globally, this outbreak still falls significantly behind the West Africa epidemic from 2014-2016, which caused approximately 11,000 deaths and 28,000 infections. The DRC's current outbreak, declared on May 15, has a case fatality rate of 44.2%. As of July 28, 797 patients were hospitalized or in isolation, and 615 individuals had recovered. The contact tracing rate stands at 78.3%.

Five provinces are affected: Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele, and Tshopo. The Ministry of Communication noted that operational challenges, including security for response teams, contact tracing, treatment center capacity, and material supply, are being addressed through a joint action plan. The outbreak initially declared in Ituri province has spread to neighboring Uganda, though Uganda declared itself Ebola-free on July 28 after its last patient was discharged.

The current strain is the Bundibugyo virus, known for a fatality rate between 30% and 50%. The World Health Organization considers the risk of further spread in sub-Saharan Africa high, while the global risk remains low. Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids and causes severe hemorrhagic fever.