Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo spreads to 2 new health zones with total of 60 areas now affected
Summary
The Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo has spread to Biena and Manguredjipa, bringing the total to 60 affected health zones, according to government figures released Friday. Congo’s Health Ministry said the outbreak has reached 5,794 confirmed cases and 2,786 deaths. Officials said the spread is being driven by insecurity, displacement, a health workers’ strike and heavy population movement. The World Health Organization says the outbreak remains out of control and is on track to surpass the deadliest West Africa Ebola epidemic.
Key Facts
- The two new affected health zones are Biena and Manguredjipa in North Kivu province.
- Congo’s Ministry of Health said the outbreak has 5,794 confirmed cases and 2,786 deaths.
- The case fatality rate is much higher than the overall 48 percent in some areas because of delayed response efforts.
- Congo started vaccinating health workers and other front-line workers on Thursday with the Ervebo vaccine.
- Officials believe the outbreak has been spreading since February, although it was declared in mid-May.
Congo’s Health Minister Roger Kamba administers an Ebola vaccine to a health care worker in Kisangani, Congo, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. Yonhap
BUNIA, Congo — The fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in history has spread to two new health zones in eastern Congo, with a total of 60 now affected, according to the latest government figures published on Friday.
The two new zones affected are Biena and Manguredjipa in Congo’s North Kivu province, where the case fatality rate is much higher than the overall rate of 48%, due in part to delayed response efforts, according to Congo’s Ministry of Health data.
It said the outbreak has recorded 5,794 confirmed cases, including 2,786 deaths, as it is spreading at an unprecedented speed, faster than efforts to track and slow it.
The outbreak is spreading under extremely difficult conditions, fueled by insecurity, displacement, a health workers’ strike and intense population movements . The World Health Organization has said that it remains out of control and is on track to surpass the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak , the deadliest on record, which killed more than 11,000 people, primarily in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
On Thursday, Congo began vaccinating health workers and other front-line workers with the Ervebo vaccine that was effective in past Ebola outbreaks caused by a different, more common type called Zaire.
Clinical trials are on the way find a licensed vaccine for the rare Bundibugyo virus that is causing the current outbreak and which has no approved vaccines or treatments.
Although the current outbreak was declared in mid-May, officials believe it had been spreading since February. It has spread from three health zones to nearly 60, with most cases and deaths occurring outside the network of monitored contacts and within communities.
Efforts to bring the outbreak under control — from limited public gatherings to social distancing and airport closures — have disrupted life in the six affected provinces, particularly Ituri, which has been ravaged by rebel violence.
The government has introduced measures, including installing health and sanitary equipment at some locations, but advocacy groups say more needs to be done to build trust within the community.
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