Ebola outbreak reaches two additional health zones in eastern Congo, total now 60

The Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo has expanded to two new health zones—Biena and Manguredjipa—in North Kivu province, raising the total number of affected zones to 60, according to government data released on Friday. The Ministry of Health said the outbreak has produced 5,794 confirmed cases and 2,786 deaths, with an overall case-fatality rate of 48%.

"The case fatality rate is much higher in the newly affected zones due to delayed response efforts," the ministry reported.

Health officials noted that insecurity, displacement, a health-workers’ strike and large-scale population movements are hampering control measures. The World Health Organization warned that the situation remains out of control and could exceed the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola epidemic, which killed more than 11,000 people.

Congo began vaccinating health and frontline workers with the Ervebo vaccine, which has been effective against the Zaire strain of Ebola. Clinical trials are ongoing for a vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo virus responsible for the current outbreak, for which no licensed vaccine or treatment exists.

The outbreak, declared in mid-May but believed to have started in February, has spread from three to nearly 60 zones, with most cases occurring outside monitored contacts and within communities. Restrictions such as limits on public gatherings, social distancing and airport closures have disrupted daily life, especially in Ituri province, which accounts for more than 83% of cases.

While neighboring Uganda announced it was free of Ebola last month, WHO experts said the risk of cross-border spread persists, identifying the Central African Republic and South Sudan as the countries at highest risk of spillover.