Ebola Outbreak Spreads in DRC: Over 1,500 Cases Confirmed and 500 Deaths Reported

Ebola Outbreak Spreads in DRC:

Ebola has claimed the lives of over 15,000 people in Africa over the past 50 years. The most deadly outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has so far resulted in nearly 2,300 deaths and 3,500 cases reported between 2018 and 2020.

Létalité élevée

The outbreak, declared on May 15, has seen 506 deaths and 1,561 confirmed cases reported in the DRC. Meanwhile, two deaths for 20 confirmed cases have been reported in neighboring Uganda.

A clinical trial testing two treatments against the Bundibugyo strain of the virus began last week. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also granted emergency use authorization for a molecular diagnostic test for the virus.

Essai clinique et autorisation d'utilisation d'urgence

A clinical trial testing two treatments against the Bundibugyo strain of the virus began last week. The WHO has also granted emergency use authorization for a molecular diagnostic test for the virus.

The outbreak is centered in Ituri Province, where the true extent of the crisis remains difficult to measure and could persist for several months.

In Mongbwalu, a mining town considered the epicenter of the outbreak, high mortality rates (50.7%) suggest ongoing challenges with early intervention or access to medical care for infected patients.

The virus is also present in neighboring provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu, where capitals and large swaths of territory are controlled by the antigovernmental M23 group.

Preoccupant taux de mortalité

In North Kivu, a mortality rate of 57.4% is considered ‘preoccupant’ by Congolese health authorities.

No new cases have been reported in South Kivu since May 26.

The M23 group announced last week that the outbreak had been eradicated from areas under their control, information that could not be verified by AFP sources.

In response to this announcement, cross-border exchanges between eastern DRC and Rwanda have resumed after several weeks of closure, according to AFP journalists.

Trade exchanges are common in this region, including for commerce. Many Congolese residents from the area travel to Rwanda for flights at Kigali Airport, which was closed by the M23 group earlier in 2025.