Key Facts
- Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Location: Kasai Province, mainly Bulape and Mweka health zones
- Outbreak Declared: September 4, 2025
- Suspected Cases: 28
- Deaths: 15, including 4 healthcare workers
- Case Fatality Rate: ~54%
- Virus Strain: Zaire ebolavirus (same as previous major outbreaks; vaccine exists)
- Index Case: A 34-year-old pregnant woman admitted on August 20, died August 25
Timeline
| Date | Event |
| Aug 20 | Pregnant woman admitted in Bulape with hemorrhagic fever |
| Aug 25 | Index patient dies |
| Aug 28 | Health officials alerted to cluster of similar cases |
| Sep 3 | Samples confirmed as Zaire ebolavirus at INRB lab |
| Sep 4 | Ministry of Health officially declares outbreak |
Current Situation
The outbreak is still unfolding, and WHO warns numbers could climb as transmission continues. Kasai’s remoteness adds to the challenge: reaching Bulape and Mweka takes a full day’s drive from the provincial capital, Tshikapa.
The response so far includes:
- Rapid Response Teams from the Ministry of Health and WHO
- Delivery of two tonnes of medical supplies, PPE, and mobile lab equipment
- Deployment of 2,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine, prioritized for contacts and frontline workers
Context
This is the 16th Ebola outbreak in the DRC since 1976. Kasai Province has seen it before, with outbreaks in 2007 and 2008. Nationally, the last Ebola outbreak ended in September 2022 in North Kivu.
Bottom Line
The case count is still limited, but the fatality rate is high, health workers are among the dead, and the location complicates containment. The DRC has experience managing Ebola, and an effective vaccine is ready to deploy—two factors that give health authorities a better chance of stopping this outbreak before it spreads further.