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Ebola hemorrhagic fever

Ebola Outbreak in DRC: 31 Deaths, 48 Cases Reported

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A devastating Ebola outbreak is unfolding in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where at least 31 people have lost their lives in the central province of Kasai. The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed 38 cases, including 15 patients currently under treatment at an Ebola center in Bulape, the epicenter of the outbreak. A vaccination campaign has been initiated, with 760 doses delivered to Bulape, and plans are underway to provide 45,000 additional doses in the coming days. Despite some progress in slowing down transmission, WHO officials emphasize the need for continued vigilance and expedited testing, tracing, and vaccination.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Ebola outbreak in the DRC's Kasai province has resulted in 31 deaths and 48 confirmed cases, with 15 patients currently under treatment.
  • A vaccination campaign has begun, with 760 doses delivered to Bulape and plans for 45,000 additional doses in the national capital, Kinshasa.
  • Genetic testing linked the current outbreak to the 2018-2020 epidemic in North Kivu and Ituri that killed nearly 2,300 people.
  • The DRC government declared the outbreak on September 4, marking the country's 16th Ebola outbreak since the virus was first identified in 1976.
  • The WHO stresses the need for continued vigilance and expedited testing, tracing, and vaccination to control the outbreak.
  • Bulape's remote location poses logistical challenges, particularly for cold-chain transport.
  • More than 500 health workers and close contacts of confirmed cases have been inoculated.

Statistics:

  • 31 deaths reported in the latest Ebola outbreak in the DRC.
  • 48 cases confirmed, including 38 confirmed and 10 suspected.
  • 15 patients currently under treatment at the Ebola center in Bulape, the epicenter of the outbreak.
  • 500 health workers and close contacts of confirmed cases have been inoculated.
  • 760 doses of Ebola vaccine delivered to Bulape.
  • 45,000 additional doses expected in Kinshasa in the coming days.
  • The outbreak has spread to 16 provinces since the first Ebola case was identified in 1976.
  • The previous outbreak ended in September 2022 after a single case was confirmed in North Kivu Province.

Sources:

  • World Health Organization (WHO) official Patrick Otim quoted in an online press briefing.
  • COMTEX_468861116/2084/2025-09-18T09:08:46
  • Xinhua via COMTEX, September 18, 2025

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