Ebola Outbreak in DRC Intensifies, WHO Calls for Major Response

Overview

• WHO reports more than 3,600 confirmed cases and about 1,587 deaths and describes transmission as intensifying, with weekly case and death totals reaching their highest levels so far.
• A WHO‑funded field investigation by three international researchers found evidence that transmission probably began in Mongbwalu in January and identified more than 500 suspected cases between mid‑January and May.
• The virus has spread from Mongbwalu across five provinces — Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut‑Uélé and Tshopo — and local health services and burial teams have been overwhelmed.
• The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo Ebola species for which there are no licensed vaccines or treatments, though experimental drugs and vaccine candidates are now in early clinical trials and showing promising preclinical signs.
• WHO is urging a substantial expansion of response capacity to expand contact tracing, care and safe burials, and neighboring countries remain at risk of imported cases as communities face heavy loss and disrupted health access.