Fresh Ebola outbreak kills 15 in DR Congo, WHO, health authorities raise alert
A fresh Ebola virus disease outbreak in the Kasai Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo has resulted in the death of 15 persons, according to reports by health authorities.
28 cases have been reported with four health workers falling victim to the disease, as of September 4 2025.
Places affected include Bulape and Mweka health zones in Kasai Province where health officials have been carrying out investigations.
Findings show symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and haemorrhage in death and reported cases, as tested samples at the country’s National Institute of Biomedical Research confirmed the cause of the outbreak to be Ebola Zaire.
A national Rapid Response Team including World Health Organization (WHO) experts was deployed to Kasai Province to aid disease surveillance, treatment and infection prevention and control.
Provincial risk communication experts have also been deployed to create awareness.
Dr Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa said the organization was working rapidly to contain its spread.
“We’re acting with determination to rapidly halt the spread of the virus and protect communities.
“Banking on the country’s long-standing 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,” he said.
“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,” WHO added.
The country is said to have a stockpile of treatments to vaccinate contacts and frontline health workers.
The last outbreak of Ebola in the country affected the north-western Equateur province in April 2022 and was brought under control within three months.
While the disease is rare, it is often severe and fatal in humans and transmitted through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals like fruit bats, often considered as natural hosts.
For Human-to-human transmission, it is often through direct contact or objects contaminated with blood or body fluids of a person who is sick with or has died from Ebola.
