DR Congo declares Ebola outbreak after 15 deaths in Kasai province

The Democratic Republic of Congo has declared a new Ebola outbreak in south-central Kasai province following 28 suspected cases and 15 deaths, including four health workers, the Ministry of Public Health announced.

The outbreak began with a 34-year-old pregnant woman admitted to Bulape health zone on August 20, who died five days later. Additional cases have since been reported in Bulape and Mweka, with patients showing symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and haemorrhage.

Tests conducted at the National Institute of Biomedical Research in Kinshasa confirmed the Zaire strain of the virus, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said in a statement released on Thursday.

WHO has deployed a rapid response team alongside Congolese health authorities, delivering protective equipment, medical supplies and mobile laboratory gear to Kasai. Vaccination campaigns for contacts and frontline workers are scheduled to begin soon, with 2,000 doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine available.

Health experts have warned that the outbreak response could be complicated by strained health services and reduced U.S. support for epidemic control in Congo. Still, WHO officials stressed that the country’s experience in managing past outbreaks will help contain the disease.

See Also

INEC resumes nationwide voter registration as second phase begins

“This outbreak is really a reminder of the ongoing vulnerability of communities across Africa,” said Patrick Otim, a WHO Africa health emergency officer. “But there is no need to panic. The DRC has built extensive capacity and expertise in health emergency responses.”

Congo has faced 15 Ebola outbreaks since the virus was first identified there in 1976, most recently in 2022.