DR Congo Confirms 1,708 Ebola Cases as Death Toll Rises to 580

The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has confirmed that the country’s ongoing Ebola outbreak has reached 1,708 confirmed cases, with 580 deaths recorded since the disease was officially declared an outbreak.

According to health authorities, 280 patients have recovered, while 680 others remain hospitalised and are receiving treatment in healthcare facilities across the affected regions.

Officials said disease surveillance teams are actively monitoring people who have come into contact with infected patients, with a follow-up rate of 75.2 percent in the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu.

Conflict Complicates Response

The outbreak continues to spread in eastern DRC, an area plagued by years of armed conflict, insecurity and mass displacement of civilians.

Health experts warn that ongoing violence, particularly in parts of North Kivu and South Kivu, where the M23 rebel group maintains partial control, has made disease surveillance, treatment and humanitarian access significantly more difficult.

The Congolese government also confirmed that another healthcare worker in Ituri Province has contracted Ebola, highlighting the continued risks faced by frontline medical personnel battling the outbreak.

Government Intensifies Response

Authorities said efforts to contain the virus remain ongoing through:

• Intensive disease surveillance
• Contact tracing
• Treatment of infected patients
• Public awareness campaigns
• Community engagement programmes
• Support for affected families

Officials say these interventions are aimed at reducing transmission and improving early detection of new infections.

WHO Declares International Health Emergency

In May, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified the Ebola outbreaks in both the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, underscoring growing fears over the spread of the disease across the region.

New Clinical Trial Begins

As part of efforts to improve treatment options, the WHO recently launched a clinical trial in the DRC targeting Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD), a rare strain of Ebola for which no approved treatment currently exists.

The study, known as the Platform Adaptive Randomised Trial for New and Repurposed Filovirus Treatments (PARTNERS), will evaluate two experimental therapies:

• MBP134, a monoclonal antibody treatment
• Remdesivir, an antiviral drug previously used in treating other viral infections

Researchers will also examine whether using both treatments together offers better survival outcomes than administering either therapy alone.

According to the WHO, while effective medicines have been developed for some forms of Ebola virus disease, no approved treatment currently exists for Bundibugyo virus disease, making the trial a significant step toward expanding treatment options.

The UN health agency said the therapies selected for the trial were chosen after extensive reviews of laboratory research, safety data and findings from previous Ebola outbreaks.

Health experts continue to urge residents in affected communities to report symptoms early, cooperate with contact-tracing teams and follow public health guidance as authorities work to contain the outbreak.