The Democratic Republic of the Congo is facing its first Ebola outbreak in three years, with the World Health Organisation confirming 31 deaths this month.
A total of 48 cases—both confirmed and probable—have been recorded since the outbreak was declared earlier this month.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus briefed reporters in Geneva, saying the outbreak, which began near the town of Bulape, has already spread from two to four districts, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“We’ve helped establish an Ebola treatment centre with 18 beds, where 16 patients are currently receiving care,” Tedros said.
He added that vaccination campaigns targeting confirmed contacts, potential contacts, and frontline workers are already underway.
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In addition, courses of the monoclonal antibody therapy Mab114 have been sent to treatment centres in Bulape, with 14 patients having received the treatment so far.
More than 900 contacts have been identified, and authorities are actively monitoring them. Two patients have already recovered and been discharged.
Ebola, a viral hemorrhagic fever first identified in Africa in the 1970s, primarily spreads from wild animals such as fruit bats.
The disease can cause fever, body aches, diarrhea, and severe organ dysfunction. In some cases, the virus can remain in survivors’ bodies and resurface years later.
The DRC’s dense tropical forests serve as a natural reservoir for the virus. Between 2014 and 2016, West Africa experienced the deadliest Ebola outbreak in history, claiming over 11,000 lives across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
WHO and partner organisations are continuing to provide support, sending over 14 tons of medical equipment and deploying 48 experts to aid the DRC’s response.
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