DRC Ebola Outbreak Kills 1,587, Spreads Across Five Provinces

GENEVA, Switzerland – The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Ebola outbreak has become the country’s largest on record, claiming 1,587 lives and infecting 3,605 people as of 30 July, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned, as the virus spreads rapidly across five provinces despite intensified emergency response efforts.

In a situation update released on Saturday, WHO said the outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, continues to accelerate, with expanding geographical spread, sustained community transmission and persistently high mortality raising concerns over a worsening public health emergency.

The agency reported that the outbreak, which was initially confined to the Mongbwalu Health Zone in Ituri Province, has now spread to 49 health zones across Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé and Tshopo provinces.

According to WHO, epidemiological week 30 recorded the highest weekly caseload since the outbreak began, with 567 new confirmed infections and 296 deaths, underscoring the speed at which the disease is spreading.

“The continued increase in cases, expanding geographic spread, and persistently high mortality underscore the rapidly evolving nature of this public health emergency,” the organisation said.

The UN health agency attributed the worsening outbreak to persistent insecurity, armed conflict, population displacement, high population mobility and frequent cross-border movements, all of which continue to hamper surveillance, contact tracing and case management efforts.

However, it warned that existing interventions remain insufficient to outpace transmission.

“National authorities in the DRC, in collaboration with WHO and partners, continue to implement extensive response measures. However, a substantial scaling up of response activities is needed to get ahead of the outbreak,” the agency stated.

A regional preparedness and prioritisation framework also remains in place to strengthen surveillance and emergency response in neighbouring African countries at risk of cross-border transmission.

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Mirian Gom

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Gom Mirian AHR Senior Correspondent, has over 8 years’ experience reporting on health, crime, education, investigations, and development issues across Nigeria and Africa. With dual degrees in Economics, she combines analytical skill with compelling storytelling. Widely recognised for her public health and humanitarian reporting, she earned a Nestlé Award nomination for compelling human-interest journalism. Follow her on Twitter @mirian_linus.

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