Overview

• National testing by the INRB confirmed the Zaire strain, which is eligible for the Ervebo vaccine under a ring‑vaccination strategy.
• Cases are concentrated in Bulape and Mweka, with a suspected index patient identified as a 34-year-old pregnant woman who died on August 25.
• WHO and DRC rapid response teams are on the ground with mobile laboratories, personal protective equipment, medical supplies and two tonnes of additional materials.
• The country has 2,000 Ervebo doses staged in Kinshasa for targeted vaccination of contacts, contacts of contacts and frontline health workers, and has requested more doses.
• Authorities say the toll is provisional and could rise, citing difficult access to affected communities, limited air links and a full day’s travel from Tshikapa.