The Democratic Republic of Congo is facing its 17th epidemic of hemorrhagic fever. The outbreak’s epicenter is in Ituri, a remote northeastern province that has been destabilized by armed group violence.

According to the latest official figures, the disease has infected 1,048 people and caused 267 deaths in one of the world’s poorest nations. The case fatality rate stands at 25.5%. In the DRC, the virus is active in three eastern provinces. Twenty cases, including two deaths, have also been recorded in neighboring Uganda.

“My commitment is complete”

“I wish to announce my upcoming visit to Ituri province, right to the outbreak’s location, to personally monitor the situation. My commitment is complete, as you can imagine,” President Félix Tshisekedi said during a joint statement with Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye in Kinshasa.

No specific date has been communicated. This outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, for which there is currently no vaccine or treatment. Existing vaccines only work against the Zaire virus, responsible for the largest Ebola epidemics known to date. Over the past 50 years, Ebola has killed more than 15,000 people across Africa.

Patient isolation and contact tracing

In Ituri, the health response—based on isolating patients and tracing their contacts—was slow to get underway. Resources are gradually being reinforced, but local hospitals still lack essential items like protective equipment and chlorine, more than a month after the official declaration of the epidemic.

Ebola treatment centers set up in recent weeks with teams from the WHO and several NGOs on the ground are already reporting occupancy rates above 80%, according to health authorities.

Testing capacity has improved, but international humanitarian organizations and NGOs on the ground believe official counts are underestimates. According to them, the epidemic’s peak has not yet been reached and the crisis could last between six months and a year. The virus is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids.