The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reported a total of 2,905 confirmed Ebola cases with 1,269 deaths, according to an update from the country’s health ministry on Friday. The significant increase in cumulative case numbers reflects the recent integration of harmonized databases from the eastern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, rather than solely new cases reported within a 24-hour period. On Wednesday alone, 97 confirmed cases and 62 fatalities were recorded. Currently, 519 patients have recovered, while 722 remain in isolation or are receiving treatment.

Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka, during a visit on Thursday to Kisangani, the capital of the newly affected Tshopo province, noted that many patients are arriving at healthcare facilities only after developing severe symptoms, which complicates treatment efforts. She emphasized the government’s intention to enhance community training and awareness campaigns to encourage earlier medical intervention. The government has allocated $50 million toward the Ebola response, prioritizing laboratory capacity, medical supplies, community surveillance, and patient care.

Meanwhile, the University of Oxford announced the initiation of the world’s first human trial of a vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo ebolavirus strain, responsible for the current outbreak. The vaccine, named ChAdOx1 BDBV, was developed by Oxford’s Vaccine Group and Pandemic Sciences Institute. Manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, approximately 620,000 doses have been stockpiled, including 4,000 investigational doses supplied for the initial trial. The first phase of the study aims to enroll about 50 healthy adults to evaluate safety and immune response, with plans for further trials in Uganda pending regulatory approval.

Declared on May 15, this outbreak is distinct from prior Ebola episodes due to the absence of approved vaccines or treatments for the Bundibugyo strain. The virus remains concentrated primarily in Ituri province, which accounts for nearly 90% of cases, though infections have also been confirmed in five other provinces, including Kisangani, and in neighboring Uganda. While Congolese authorities report signs of slowing transmission, they caution that the outbreak has yet to peak. The latest report from the country’s public health institute indicates sustained virus transmission, with reporting delays and ongoing data consolidation contributing to fluctuations in case numbers.

Contact tracing efforts have been inadequate, with only around 77% of known contacts monitored nationwide, falling short of the 95% target considered necessary to interrupt transmission. Authorities continue to grapple with the extent and trajectory of the outbreak. Researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have used computer models to project that in a worst-case scenario, the outbreak could reach the magnitude of the 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic, which resulted in more than 11,000 deaths.

The origin of the outbreak remains unclear, as most cases are linked to unknown chains of transmission, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. WHO assesses the risk as “very high” within the DRC and “high” in Uganda and neighboring countries due to cross-border movement and ongoing transmission. The global risk is considered low, given Ebola’s transmission through direct contact with bodily fluids rather than airborne spread. Both WHO and the CDC emphasize that Ebola does not spread like respiratory viruses and note that infected individuals are not contagious until symptoms appear, facilitating case identification and contact tracing.

Uganda has reported 20 cases, including two deaths, all linked to imported infections from the DRC and concentrated in the capital, Kampala. No new cases have been reported in Uganda since June 21, and its last patient has been discharged, initiating the 42-day period used to declare an outbreak’s end. Elsewhere, a French doctor infected while working in the DRC was diagnosed in June but has since recovered.

Travel restrictions remain in place, particularly from the DRC. The United States bans entry for most recent travelers from the country and requires a 21-day period outside the region before citizens may return. Screening protocols are in place at designated U.S. airports for travelers from Uganda and South Sudan. Plans to establish an Ebola quarantine center in Kenya for Americans evacuated from the DRC have faced protests and legal challenges.

Local mistrust and resistance are major obstacles to outbreak control, with rumors about treatment centers, fear of isolation, and opposition to safe burial practices causing many to avoid testing or seek care late. The situation is further compounded by armed conflict, including attacks by the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels and the Allied Democratic Forces, linked to Islamic State. These conflicts, along with displacement, hinder surveillance, contact tracing, and healthcare access. A recent attack on Wednesday in Ituri province by suspected ADF rebels killed at least 16 people, according to local officials.

Unlike previous Ebola outbreaks, the current crisis involves the Bundibugyo strain, which has no approved vaccines or treatments. Despite increased testing capacity since the outbreak began, the virus continues to spread at a pace that challenges containment efforts.