A rapidly escalating Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo recorded 72 new cases in a single day—one of the highest daily increases since the outbreak was confirmed one month ago—as overwhelmed treatment centers struggle to serve communities already devastated by years of conflict and displacement.
Congo's Ministry of Health reported Sunday that the total number of confirmed cases has reached 782, including 181 confirmed deaths, with 29 new fatalities reported in the latest 24-hour period. The outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, is concentrated in the eastern province of Ituri, which accounts for more than 90% of cases and where nearly a million people have been displaced by ongoing violence.
Treatment Centers Overwhelmed
Kate White, emergency medical coordinator for Doctors Without Borders in Congo, said Monday, "One month on, the Ebola disease outbreak is outpacing the response effort. No one knows the true scale or exactly where the disease is spreading in Congo." The medical charity reported that treatment centers in the outbreak's epicenter are overwhelmed, with many patients arriving in advanced stages of illness. Most critically, the majority were not identified as contacts of infected people before seeking care, revealing dangerous gaps in the surveillance system.
The outbreak was confirmed on May 15, weeks after it is suspected to have begun. Early detection was hampered because testing initially focused on the more common Zaire virus, which now has a vaccine, rather than the rare Bundibugyo strain. The Zaire virus was responsible for most of Congo's past 16 outbreaks of the disease.
Contact Tracing Collapses Under Pressure
Congo reported that the contact tracing coverage rate has plummeted to 56%, a sharp decrease from the previous week, as authorities struggle to locate people who may have been exposed. There was no immediate explanation for the drop. Congolese health authorities previously said contact tracing has been hampered by community resistance in some areas and by the rapid expansion of the outbreak into new health zones, increasing the workload for surveillance teams.
The challenges are compounded by the displacement crisis in Ituri. According to the U.N. humanitarian office, nearly a million people have been displaced by years of conflict, making contact tracing difficult as people flee attacks or move frequently in the vast province with dense forests, poor roads and remote villages that can take days to reach. Tracing is also difficult among the thousands of miners who regularly move among remote sites in the mineral-rich region.
Cases have also been recorded in the North Kivu and South Kivu provinces and have spread across the border to Uganda, raising concerns about regional transmission.
Response Efforts Intensify
The World Health Organization said Sunday it is intensifying testing and contact tracing and treatment, and tons of supplies from the WHO have arrived in Congo. Africa's top health body said it is deploying technical expertise and supporting laboratory systems, case finding and community engagement efforts to accelerate the response.
Jean Kaseya, the head of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said, "We remain committed to supporting affected countries until transmission is stopped. We call on partners and donors to urgently mobilize resources to strengthen the response and save lives."
Congo's health ministry said the numbers show the outbreak is spreading rapidly but also reflect more active surveillance. "Community members are reporting suspected cases, and response teams are investigating them," it said on X. The ministry reported Sunday that 40 people have recovered since the start of the outbreak, and the current fatality rate of the outbreak is 23%.
Why This Matters:
The Ebola outbreak exposes how years of conflict and displacement have left vulnerable populations without adequate health infrastructure or protection. Nearly a million displaced people in Ituri face compounded health emergencies, with treatment centers unable to meet demand and contact tracing systems collapsing under pressure. The failure to test for the Bundibugyo virus in the early days allowed weeks of undetected transmission, demonstrating the consequences of under-resourced public health systems in conflict zones. As cases spread across borders and surveillance coverage drops sharply, the outbreak threatens regional stability and demands urgent international support. The call for donor resources underscores the need for sustained investment in health systems that serve marginalized communities, particularly those displaced by violence and economic exploitation in mineral-rich regions.