WHO warns Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo remains out of control, with more than 3,200 dead

The Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo remains “out of control,” the World Health Organization’s Africa delegation warned as vaccination of health and frontline workers began. The outbreak has reached 6,686 cases and 3,226 deaths.

WHO Africa said conditions were becoming increasingly uneven. Some areas showed signs of improvement, but transmission continued elsewhere, with the virus moving geographically and new infection hotspots appearing.

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out of control

By September 6, a total of 2,007 health and first-response workers had received the Ervebo vaccine in six health zones across Tshopo, Bas-Uélé and Ituri provinces. Most vaccinations took place in Tshopo, including 1,083 in Makiso-Kisangani, 195 in Mangobo, 156 in Kabondo and 55 in Bafwasende. Another 498 people were vaccinated in Buta, in Bas-Uélé, and 20 in Gombe, in Ituri.

The outbreak’s geographic spread covers six provinces and roughly 630,000 square kilometers. WHO described the operating environment as increasingly complex, placing additional demands on laboratories, contact tracing and logistics. It said the risk of further spread remained very high within the Democratic Republic of Congo and high in neighboring countries with land borders, citing sustained transmission, high mortality, population movement, insecurity and logistical difficulties. The global risk and the risk elsewhere in Africa remained low.

The epidemic also spread to neighboring Uganda. WHO declared that outbreak over on August 26 after 20 confirmed cases, including 15 imported from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and two deaths.

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increasingly complex

WHO said the effectiveness of Ervebo against the Bundibugyo strain in humans has not been established. Its use therefore remains limited to clinical research settings. Two other vaccines are still in phase one trials. Although they have shown safety, their development could take several more months.

Ituri, the main focus of the outbreak, recorded a modest decline in infections, while North Kivu experienced a sustained rise after surpassing 1,000 cases. WHO also warned that community deaths were increasing, accounting for 75% of confirmed deaths during the previous week. It linked the trend to limited access to medical care, transport barriers, local distrust and delays in detection.

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very high