Ebola virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Ebola virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Ongoing outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo
On 4 September 2025, the Democratic Republic of the Congo declared an outbreak of Ebola virus disease in the country’s Kasai Province where a cluster of cases and deaths had been reported. Samples tested on 3 September at the country’s National Institute of Biomedical Research in the capital Kinshasa confirmed the cause of the illness and fatalities as Ebola Zaire caused by Ebola virus disease.
The outbreak has so far affected Bulape and Mweka health zones in Kasai Province, home to around 3.5 million people. Previous outbreaks in Kasai were reported in 2007 (Luebo) and 2008–2009 (Mweka).
The ongoing outbreak is the 16th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since the disease was identified in 1976. The country’s most recent outbreak occurred in 2022 in Beni in North Kivu Province.
Ebola virus disease is a rare but severe, often fatal illness in humans. It is transmitted to people through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals such as fruit bats (thought to be the natural hosts). Human-to-human transmission is through direct contact with blood or body fluids of a person who is sick with or has died from Ebola, objects that have been contaminated with body fluids from a person sick with Ebola or the body of a person who died from Ebola.
Response
Following the alerts received from the field, an advanced team of first responders from WHO, the Ministry of Health and partner organization was deployed to the affected health zones to rapidly strengthen key outbreak control measures including disease surveillance, treatment and infection prevention and control in health facilities.
WHO immediately delivered over 14 tonnes of emergency health supplies and equipment including personal protective equipment, mobile laboratory equipment and medical supplies to ensure the rapid scale-up of outbreak control measures. Additional supplies are being shipped.
Treatment centres are being established to ensure effective and safe care of people infected with the virus. Provision of supplies and training of health workers and other frontline responders has also been conducted. Infection prevention is also being enhanced, with teams to ensure safe and dignified burials being trained, public health awareness efforts underway to encourage early reporting of cases by communities and adoption of preventive measures.
Vaccination
The Democratic Republic of the Congo country has a stockpile of treatments, as well as 2000 doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine, effective to protect against Ebola Zaire that have been delivered to Kasai to vaccinate contacts and frontline health workers. The International Coordinating Group (ICG) on Vaccine Provision approved around 45 000 additional Ebola vaccine doses to be shipped to the country in the coming days as part of the ongoing outbreak response.
Preparations are underway to ensure effective rollout of the Ebola vaccine in the field protect frontline workers and communities in addition to the ongoing measures to provide clinical care, detect cases and follow up contacts and halt the spread of the virus.
Over the years, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has built expertise in responding to viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks. The last outbreaks in Equateur and North Kivu provinces were brought under control in under three months.
