Authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have signaled that the recent outbreak of the Bundibugyo variant of Ebola has reached its peak, with infection rates showing signs of decline for the first time since the epidemic began in May. This marks a cautiously optimistic development amid an outbreak that has affected multiple provinces.
Samuel Roger Kamba, the DRC’s health minister, reported a downward trend in new cases, noting that daily infections have decreased from approximately 120 to around 80. He emphasized the necessity of maintaining strict preventive measures to continue curbing transmission. Kamba also stated that more than 22 days have passed since new cases were reported in 10 of the 62 health zones under surveillance. Consequently, six zones have been removed from the list after experiencing over 42 consecutive days without new cases.
The outbreak is primarily concentrated in Ituri province, where ongoing conflict and instability complicate containment efforts. Recently, the Sud-Ubangi region—bordering the Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic—became the sixth province to report cases. Since its declaration on May 15, this is the 17th recorded Ebola outbreak in the DRC, which first identified the virus in 1976.
As of September 14, the Congolese health ministry has documented more than 7,200 confirmed cases and over 3,475 deaths linked to the outbreak. The Bundibugyo variant lacks an approved treatment at present, though clinical trials are underway in the affected areas. In contrast, the DRC recently received over 70,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine, which is authorized for the more prevalent Zaire Ebola virus but not for the Bundibugyo strain.
Despite the reported progress, some public officials are urging caution. Iracan Gratien de Saint-Nicolas, a member of parliament for Bunia, cautioned against premature celebrations and stressed the importance of sustained efforts to convince communities that the disease is under control. He called for greater transparency around epidemiological data, citing the need for objective indicators such as sustained declines in case numbers over several weeks, reductions in deaths and active transmission zones, and effective contact tracing and safe burial practices.
Earlier in August, Jean Kaseya, director general of the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, visited Bunia and highlighted ongoing challenges. He noted that containment and contact tracing were not yet fully effective, with a significant proportion of deaths occurring within the community outside healthcare settings. Kaseya indicated the difficulty in determining the peak of the outbreak, underscoring that epidemiologists consider it reached only when all new cases are traced to known contacts.
Local residents in affected regions express a mix of relief and fatigue. In Rwampara, a town in Ituri province, Léa Munyere, a mother of four, shared her hope that the outbreak would soon be declared over after losing two close friends to the disease. “It has robbed us of the people we cherish so much since it was first reported,” she said. “We just want to get back to our normal lives.”
Health officials continue to monitor the situation closely while urging vigilance to prevent a resurgence of cases and to ultimately bring the outbreak to an end.