DR Congo Ebola Outbreak: 2,100 Dead, Virus Spreads to 6th Province

The DR Congo Ebola outbreak has spread to a sixth province after a death was recorded in the previously unaffected Bas-Uele province, Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said Thursday, August 13. The man had traveled from Isiro in Haut-Uele province to Buta, the capital of Bas-Uele, where he later died, raising fresh concerns over the geographical spread of the outbreak.

The outbreak in eastern Congo is considered the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak yet and is on track to surpass the deadliest outbreak in history, which erupted more than a decade ago and killed over 11,000 people, the World Health Organization said Wednesday. More than 2,100 people have died out of over 4,500 reported cases, according to the latest government figures. Congo Ebola Outbreak Could Surpass 2014-16 Epidemic That Killed Over 11,000, WHO Warns.

Ebola Outbreak Spreads to Sixth Province

The latest death in Bas-Uele means six of Congo’s 26 provinces have now been affected by the outbreak. The case has raised concerns about the movement of the virus beyond areas where health authorities have been actively responding to infections.

The man reportedly traveled from Isiro, in Haut-Uele province, to Buta, where he died. Health authorities are working to determine whether additional transmission occurred following his arrival. The broader extent of the outbreak remains uncertain, with officials warning that many infections may not be detected through existing monitoring systems. DR Congo Ebola Outbreak Becomes Country’s Largest Ever, WHO Warns of Rapid Spread.

The current outbreak has already killed more than 2,100 people among more than 4,500 cases, according to government figures. The WHO said the death toll has been reached almost three times faster than during the 2014-16 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which remains the deadliest Ebola outbreak recorded.

The current outbreak is being driven by the rare Bundibugyo virus, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments.

‘We Are Chasing the Virus’

Health authorities are facing significant difficulties in containing the outbreak. The response is taking place amid strikes by some unpaid health workers, threats from rebel groups, public mistrust and misinformation, including claims that Ebola does not exist.

As of Thursday, six of Congo’s 26 provinces had reported the impact of the outbreak. Health workers at the Nizi Treatment Center in Ituri province, one of the areas most affected by the outbreak, went on strike Thursday. The treatment center was temporarily closed after workers said they had not been paid for three months.

The disruptions come as health authorities attempt to expand testing, treatment and contact tracing. “We are chasing the virus; the virus is ahead of us,” the WHO regional director for Africa, Dr. Mohamed Yakub Janabi, said this week.

Outbreak May Have Started Months Earlier

The outbreak was officially declared on May 15, but the WHO said sequencing analysis showed that the virus had begun circulating months earlier, in February.

That finding suggests the virus had already been spreading before health authorities formally identified and declared the outbreak.

Officials have also warned that a large proportion of new cases are being detected outside the group of contacts already under monitoring.

Health authorities said between 60% and 70% of new cases are being recorded outside monitored contacts, describing the rate of spread as “alarming”.

Clinical trials of two potential treatments for the Bundibugyo type of Ebola began last month in Ituri, the province that has been among the hardest hit. The trials could provide important evidence on whether the experimental treatments can reduce the severity and mortality associated with the current outbreak.

However, the absence of approved vaccines or treatments for Bundibugyo Ebola remains a major challenge for the response.

How Ebola Spreads

Ebola is a rare but highly contagious viral disease that can spread through contact with infected bodily fluids, including vomit, blood and semen. Transmission can also occur through contaminated surfaces and materials such as bedding and clothing.

The disease can cause severe illness and is often fatal, making early detection, isolation, contact tracing and infection-control measures central to outbreak response.

With the virus now reported in six provinces, health authorities face the challenge of containing transmission while dealing with gaps in surveillance, health-worker strikes, insecurity and misinformation. The latest spread into Bas-Uele adds another layer of difficulty to an outbreak that the WHO says is already expanding at an unusually rapid pace.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 13, 2026 09:32 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).