GENEVA / RankWire.AI / – The World Health Organization has urged a wider Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as transmission continues across several provinces. Congo had recorded 6,250 confirmed cases and 3,039 deaths by Sept. 1, according to the latest government figures. The outbreak has affected 60 health zones in six provinces. Authorities have also recorded 1,439 recoveries, while the case fatality rate stands at 48.6%.
The Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak has become Congo’s largest and deadliest Ebola epidemic on record. It is also the world’s second-largest recorded Ebola outbreak, behind the 2014-2016 epidemic in West Africa. Ituri province remains the main center of transmission. The province accounts for about 85% of confirmed cases and 88% of reported deaths, making it the most heavily affected area in the current public health emergency.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said health teams still have not identified every chain of transmission. Many recent deaths involved people who did not appear on known contact lists. Community deaths and unsafe burials also continue to complicate efforts to control the virus. Africa CDC reported that more than 60% of deaths during the latest seven-day period occurred in communities rather than health facilities.
Health authorities intensify Ebola response
The World Health Organization has expanded laboratory testing, treatment capacity and field operations across affected areas. WHO has shipped more than 330 tonnes of emergency supplies and deployed over 300 experts. Health authorities now operate 24 laboratories closer to affected communities, compared with one national reference laboratory earlier in the response. Daily testing capacity has risen to about 3,000 tests, while treatment and isolation capacity exceeds 1,300 beds across 49 facilities.
The Bundibugyo virus currently has no approved vaccine or specific treatment. Researchers are conducting therapeutic studies, while two vaccine candidates designed for the virus are undergoing safety trials. Health teams continue contact tracing, testing, clinical care, infection prevention and safe burial work. Authorities are also expanding community engagement because delayed detection can leave infected people outside formal monitoring systems and make it harder to identify transmission chains quickly.
Transmission continues despite lower case counts
Transmission remains active in 51 health zones, although authorities have recorded lower case numbers in recent weeks. Four health zones have reported no new infections for more than 42 days and have interrupted transmission. Five others have gone between 21 and 42 days without a new case. Public health officials have said the recent decline does not yet show that the national outbreak is under control, while surveillance continues across affected provinces.
Congo declared the outbreak in Ituri province on May 15 after authorities confirmed infections involving the Bundibugyo virus. The epidemic later reached North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo and Bas-Uélé in addition to Ituri. Tedros said the response must expand until health teams can identify and stop every transmission chain. Authorities continue to focus on rapid detection, contact follow-up, laboratory diagnosis, safe burials and access to treatment across communities affected by Ebola.