The ongoing Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has tragically claimed 438 lives from a total of 1,406 reported cases, indicating a fatality rate of 31.2%.

Officially declared on May 15, this particular outbreak is attributed to the Bundibugyo virus strain. Currently, no approved vaccine or specific treatment is available for this strain, though health authorities confirm that clinical trials are actively being prepared.

The Ituri province remains at the heart of this health crisis, accounting for a significant 91.2% of confirmed cases and 83.6% of all fatalities. While the virus has also been detected in the neighboring provinces of Nord-Kivu and Sud-Kivu, the latter has not reported any new confirmed cases since May 26.

However, authorities have confirmed a case in Kisangani, the capital of Tshopo province, located approximately 600 kilometers from the primary outbreak zone. Laboratory tests on the remains of a 24-year-old woman, six months pregnant, tragically confirmed the presence of the virus. Her body had been illicitly transported by motorcycle from the Nia Nia health zone in Ituri, a concerning act given the high risk of transmission associated with the remains of Ebola victims, particularly during funeral rites.

Furthermore, a death and a new contamination case have been reported in the adjacent Haut-Uélé province. Officials state that the infected individual departed from the Nia Nia health zone and is currently being sought.

Despite these recent notifications, health authorities maintain that only three provinces are officially impacted by the epidemic. They classify the cases identified in Tshopo and Haut-Uélé as “imported” infections originating from Ituri. Nevertheless, numerous individuals who had contact with the patients have been identified, and some have been transferred to Ituri for essential medical monitoring.

Ebola virus disease, transmitted through contact with bodily fluids, has claimed over 15,000 lives across Africa in the past five decades. The Democratic Republic of Congo’s most devastating epidemic previously recorded nearly 2,300 deaths between 2018 and 2020.