WHO: Ebola cases in DRC begin to decrease

The Ebola outbreak

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is “showing promising signs of decline,” though risks still exist, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced Wednesday.

According to the latest situation update from the WHO Regional Office for Africa, 64 cases have been recorded so far, including 53 confirmed and 11 probable, with 42 deaths, as of Sunday in the Bulape Health Zone in Kasai Province, where the country’s 16th Ebola outbreak was declared on Sept. 4. Nine patients have recovered and been discharged, while 13 remain under treatment.

The outbreak has so far been restricted to six health areas out of 21 within the zone. The report highlighted that transmission has become “more contained and less intense” compared to the early stages, which were marked by “hospital-related infections and superspreading incidents.”

Vaccination efforts are ongoing in the affected communities, with 12,130 vaccine doses delivered to Kasai. As of Sunday, a total of 4,115 people had received the vaccine through the ring vaccination approach, which targets confirmed cases’ contacts and their secondary contacts, the report stated.

Despite this progress, the WHO cautioned that small clusters within households and close contacts could prolong low-level spread if not swiftly detected and isolated.

The organization emphasized that surveillance, vaccination, infection control, and community involvement must be sustained until every chain of transmission is cut. Continued support in these areas is essential to secure progress, prevent flare-ups, and ultimately stop the outbreak, the report said.

With no international travel restrictions required, the WHO confirmed it will maintain efforts to assess cross-border threats and provide technical help to limit the risk of the disease spreading across borders.

In September 2022, the DRC announced the end of its 15th Ebola outbreak, which had begun with a confirmed case in North Kivu Province.

Ebola is a highly infectious viral hemorrhagic fever that presents with symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea, body pain, and fatigue, and in many cases leads to both internal and external bleeding, the WHO explained.