Ebola outbreak in DRC declared over, health officials and WHO confirm

Health authorities in the DRC, alongside the World Health Organization (WHO), have declared the recent Ebola outbreak over after 42 consecutive days without a new case. The outbreak, first reported on 4 September in the Bulape health zone of Kasai Province, was the DRC’s first since 2022. Of the 64 confirmed cases, 45 people died and 19 recovered, the Ministry of Health said.

From the outset, the DRC deployed an enhanced national surveillance system to quickly identify affected areas and contain the virus.
“Ending this Ebola outbreak in just three months is a significant achievement,” said WHO regional director Dr Mohamed Janabi. Authorities will now maintain 90 days of intensified monitoring to prevent further spread.

This marks the 16th Ebola outbreak in the country since the virus was first discovered in 1976. No new cases have been reported since 25 September, and the last patient was discharged on 19 October. Two full incubation periods, each lasting 21 days, must pass without new cases for an outbreak to be officially declared over.

Ebola, endemic to the DRC’s tropical forests, spreads through contact with blood or bodily fluids and can cause fever, body aches, diarrhoea, and in many cases, death.

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