The World Health Organization confirmed on Friday that the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus has been detected in two new health zones of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The newly identified locations are Bulu in South Ubangi province, which borders the Central African Republic, and Dungu in Haut‑Uele province, adjacent to South Sudan. The expansion raises the number of health zones reporting cases to 63 across seven provinces.
Scale of the outbreak
According to WHO data compiled up to 23 September, the DRC has recorded 7,890 confirmed Ebola cases and 3,799 deaths, indicating a case‑fatality ratio of nearly 48 percent. The outbreak, which began in May, continues to be concentrated in the country’s northeast. Ituri province remains the epicentre, accounting for 6,032 confirmed infections, including 868 new cases reported in the most recent 21‑day period. North Kivu follows as the second‑most affected province, with 1,480 new cases overall and 567 reported in the last three weeks. The province now represents roughly one‑third of all newly confirmed cases and deaths, and its mortality rate approaches 60 percent, markedly higher than the national average.
Challenges to response
WHO Director‑General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that ongoing conflict and population displacement are hampering the ability of health workers to reach affected communities and conduct thorough contact tracing. “It’s very difficult to see Ebola in isolation because even our response to Ebola is affected by the conflict, because there is displacement and there is an access problem to some areas,” he said.
The Bundibugyo strain presents additional obstacles because no vaccine has yet received formal approval. Tedros noted that the organization is accelerating clinical trials for both vaccines and therapeutic options to address this gap.
Contact‑tracing efforts are markedly below the scale required. Dr. Jean Kaseya, director‑general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, explained that more than 7,000 confirmed cases should generate an estimated 420,000 contacts. However, only about 30,000 individuals are currently listed for follow‑up, a shortfall that undermines containment at the community level.
Community response and past outbreaks
Healthcare providers report that fear is deterring patients from seeking care until disease progression is advanced. Dr. Michel Paluku Mukuloli, a physician at a hospital in Butembo, North Kivu, observed, “Patients think that if they arrive at the hospital, they will be immediately sent to the treatment centre to die.” This perception complicates early detection and treatment, allowing the virus to spread unchecked.
North Kivu has previously been the focus of three major Ebola outbreaks, including the 2018‑2020 crisis caused by the Zaire strain, which was the country’s deadliest until this year. In contrast, the Bundibugyo strain is less well understood; early‑stage symptoms often mimic malaria or typhoid fever, leading to misdiagnosis and delayed isolation.
As the outbreak extends into new border regions, the combination of limited vaccine options, strained contact‑tracing capacity, and security challenges underscores the urgency of scaling up both medical and logistical responses across the DRC.
Helene Elliott is the Lead Science & Space Reporter at News Raise. She reports on aerospace missions, astrophysics discoveries, quantum research, and environmental technology.
