Key facts
- Congolese health authorities announced the Ebola outbreak has peaked.
- Daily new Ebola cases have decreased to about 80 from a high of 120.
- More than 7,200 confirmed cases and 3,475 deaths have been recorded as of September 14.
- The outbreak is concentrated in Ituri province.
- The Bundibugyo variant of Ebola is the focus of the current outbreak.
- No effective treatment for the Bundibugyo variant has been found, but clinical trials are underway.
Authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have announced that the Ebola outbreak ravaging parts of the country has reached its peak, with infection rates slowing down for the first time since the epidemic was declared in May. Congolese health minister Samuel Roger Kamba stated that the transmission of the Bundibugyo variant of Ebola is declining, with daily cases dropping to about 80 from a previous high of 120. He noted that six health zones have been removed from the list of areas reporting new cases, with some having gone over 42 days without any new infections. The Bundibugyo virus outbreak was declared on May 15 and is primarily concentrated in Ituri province, where ongoing conflict has complicated response efforts. This marks the 17th Ebola outbreak in the DRC since the disease was first identified in 1976. While no effective treatment for the Bundibugyo variant has been found, clinical trials are underway, and the DRC received over 70,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine last month, which is approved for the more common Zaire Ebola virus. According to the latest data from the Congolese health ministry as of September 14, there have been more than 7,200 confirmed cases, resulting in over 3,475 deaths. Despite the progress, Iracan Gratien de Saint-Nicolas, an MP for Bunia, cautioned against "triumphalism" and urged for greater transparency in data to build public confidence. He highlighted the need for sustained decline in new cases, reduced deaths, a decrease in active transmission areas, a high rate of contact tracing, and dignified burials as key indicators of control. Jean Kaseya, director general of the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, previously visited Bunia and noted that containment and contact tracing were not yet effective enough, with a significant portion of mortality originating from the community. Léa Munyere, a resident of Rwampara, expressed relief at the announcement, having lost two close friends to the disease.