Ebola Cases Rise to 64 in DRC as Transmission Shows Signs of Slowing

DRC reports seven new Ebola cases in Kasai province, totaling 64 cases and 42 deaths. Transmission is slowing, and improved care and treatment are reducing fatalities. Vaccination continues, with over 4,000 people immunized and 12,130 doses deployed.

Seven new cases of Ebola virus have been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s latest outbreak, with indications that transmission may be slowing, according to an update from the World Health Organization (WHO) African regional office released yesterday. The new infections were identified in three locations within the Bulape health zone in Kasai province.

Of these new cases, six are confirmed and one is a retrospective probable case. To date, 64 cases have been reported, 11 of which are classified as probable. Seven additional patients have died from the infection, raising the total fatalities to 42 and resulting in a case-fatality rate (CFR) of 65.6%. Among these deaths, 11 were from probable infections.

The number of confirmed cases among healthcare workers remains at five, with three resulting in death.

“The Ebola outbreak in Kasai Province is showing encouraging signs of decline, with transmission now more localized and less explosive than in the initial phase, which was marked by nosocomial spread and superspreading events,” the WHO stated. However, the organization cautioned that risks persist, as small clusters within families and among close contacts could maintain transmission if infected individuals are not quickly identified and isolated.

Slightly more than half of the reported cases are female. Sixteen infections involved children under nine years old, while 15 occurred in young adults under 29. Officials noted that deaths were concentrated among these groups and that the CFR is slightly higher in males.

Over the past two weeks, fewer infections have been reported in children, and the CFR has been gradually declining, thanks to earlier detection, timely isolation, and improvements in quality of care. Nine patients have been discharged, and 13 remain in treatment. To date, 31 patients have received treatment with the monoclonal antibody mAb114 (ansuvimab-zykl, also known as Ebanga).

WHO has deployed seven additional experts to the field, bringing the total number of personnel to 77. Multiple other teams are assisting with clinical care and essential response activities.

Vaccination efforts have also expanded. As of September 28, a total of 4,115 people have been vaccinated with the Ervebo (VSV-EBOV) vaccine, focusing on health and frontline workers, as well as contacts and contacts of contacts. Beyond the ring vaccination strategy, targeted vaccination began on September 27 for high-risk populations in hot spots, including Bulape, Bulape Communitaire, Dikolo, Bambalae, Ingongo, and Mpianga health areas. Twelve additional vaccination teams were trained to support these expanded immunization activities. So far, 12,130 vaccine doses have been deployed in Kasai province.