Health officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have sounded the alarm over a new Ebola outbreak in the south-central province of Kasai, marking the country’s 16th recorded battle against the deadly virus since its discovery nearly five decades ago. The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed the outbreak on September 4, 2025, following the detection of 28 suspected cases and at least 15 deaths since late August—a sobering reminder of the persistent threat Ebola poses to Central Africa.
The first known case in this latest outbreak was a 34-year-old pregnant woman who arrived at a Kasai hospital on August 20 with classic symptoms of haemorrhagic fever. Tragically, she died just hours after her admission, succumbing to organ failure, according to the Congolese health ministry. The virus’s swift and brutal course has since claimed the lives of four health workers among the 15 reported deaths—a chilling testament to the risks faced by those on the front lines.
"We're acting with determination to rapidly halt the spread of the virus and protect communities," said Dr. Mohamed Janabi, WHO’s Regional Director for Africa, in a statement released Thursday. He stressed the urgency of the response, adding, "Banking on the country’s longstanding expertise in controlling viral disease outbreaks, we’re working closely with the health authorities to quickly scale up key response measures to end the outbreak as soon as possible."
The outbreak’s epicenter, Kasai province, borders Angola and last faced Ebola in 2008. The DRC’s previous encounter with the virus occurred in April 2022 in the northwestern Équateur Province, where six lives were lost before the crisis was contained in under three months. Unlike that relatively brief episode, health officials now warn that the situation in Kasai could worsen before it improves. "Case numbers are likely to increase as the transmission is ongoing. Response teams and local teams will work to find the people who may be infected and need to receive care, to ensure everyone is protected as quickly as possible," the WHO cautioned.
This outbreak is driven by the Zaire strain of the Ebola virus—a particularly virulent type that has haunted the DRC before. Fortunately, health authorities have confirmed that 2,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine, proven effective against the Zaire strain, are being rushed from the capital, Kinshasa, to Kasai. The vaccine will first be administered to health workers and other high-risk groups in an effort to halt further spread. "Fortunately, we have a vaccine for this Zaire strain but to deploy it we need to ensure the logistics," noted DRC Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba.
In addition to the vaccine, the DRC has built up a stockpile of treatments from previous outbreaks. The deployment of a national rapid response team, bolstered by WHO experts, is underway in Kasai, aiming to reinforce local capacity and coordinate the complex logistics required for disease control in a region with notoriously poor infrastructure. The DRC, with a population exceeding 100 million and a landmass four times the size of France, faces steep challenges: limited and poorly maintained roadways, patchy communications networks, and a history of conflict and displacement. According to the United Nations refugee agency, the broader Kasai region saw more than a million people displaced amid ethnic strife in 2017—a legacy that continues to complicate public health interventions.
Ebola, first identified in 1976 and believed to have crossed into humans from bats, is a viral disease spread through direct contact with infected bodily fluids such as blood and vomit. Its symptoms—fever, fatigue, vomiting, and, in severe cases, bleeding from the eyes and nose—can escalate rapidly, often resulting in death. The virus kills about half of those it infects, and in some outbreaks, the fatality rate has been even higher. The DRC’s deadliest Ebola episode, between 2018 and 2020, claimed nearly 2,300 lives, underscoring the devastation the disease can unleash in vulnerable communities.
Efforts to contain Ebola are further complicated by deep-seated mistrust of medical authorities, especially in regions scarred by conflict or where misinformation spreads easily. Billions of dollars have been poured into the global fight against Ebola, but the struggle is as much social as it is scientific. Health workers, often perceived as outsiders, must navigate suspicion and fear as they trace contacts, deliver vaccines, and care for the sick. The deaths of four health workers in the current outbreak highlight the dangers they face—not just from the virus itself, but from the challenging conditions in which they operate.
Despite these obstacles, the DRC has developed considerable expertise in controlling viral disease outbreaks. The deployment of rapid response teams, stockpiling of vaccines and treatments, and close collaboration with international partners like the WHO have become standard components of the country’s epidemic arsenal. But as the situation in Kasai demonstrates, even the best-prepared systems can be tested by the unpredictable nature of Ebola.
The international community is watching closely. The WHO’s swift intervention, alongside the Congolese government’s mobilization of resources, reflects lessons learned from previous outbreaks, both in the DRC and elsewhere in West and Central Africa. The hope is that early action—identifying cases, isolating patients, vaccinating contacts, and educating communities—will prevent a repeat of the catastrophic toll seen in past years.
Yet, the challenges remain daunting. The movement of people across porous borders, the difficulty of reaching remote villages, and the lingering effects of displacement and conflict mean that every outbreak carries the risk of spiraling out of control. The situation in Kasai is a stark reminder: in the fight against Ebola, vigilance and rapid response are essential, but so too are trust, communication, and sustained investment in public health infrastructure.
For now, the people of Kasai—and the health workers risking their lives to protect them—face anxious days ahead as the world waits to see whether this latest outbreak can be contained. The coming weeks will be critical, as teams race against time to vaccinate, treat, and trace every possible case, hoping to halt the virus before it spreads further. The DRC’s experience, resilience, and determination will once again be put to the test.
