Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
According to Dr. Abdirahman Mahamud, WHO Director of Health Emergency Alert and Response Operations, 1,048 confirmed Ebola cases have been reported in DR Congo since the outbreak was declared on 15 May, with 267 deaths recorded. This represents the highest number of confirmed cases in the first month of an Ebola outbreak in Africa. The outbreak is attributed to the Bundibugyo species of the Ebola virus. It took 37 days to reach 250 deaths, a much faster pace than previous West African outbreaks, where similar death tolls took 78 and 130 days to reach.
Ugochi Daniels, Deputy Director General for Operations at the International Organization for Migration (IOM), emphasized the severe impact on affected families, describing everyday activities as risky and noting the outbreak’s wider social effects beyond health. She highlighted that the outbreak is concentrated in regions with frequent cross-border movement, requiring ongoing surveillance and coordination across affected countries. Since the response began, over one million travelers have been screened at key entry points and mobility corridors. However, a funding gap of about $35 million remains out of $55.8 million needed for cross-border surveillance and coordination over six months across 11 countries.
WHO has expanded health response capacities in the past two weeks, increasing treatment beds from a minimal number to over 500 across 19 health zones. Laboratory testing has also scaled up from 30 tests daily in Kinshasa initially to over 2,000 tests per day through eight decentralized labs in Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu.