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The number of reported, confirmed Ebola cases increased by 18.2% in the past week, a much smaller jump in cases compared to the 32.5% increase seen last week. Deaths this week increased by 21.1%. As of August 4, there have been 3,973 cases and 1,801 confirmed deaths due to Ebola in the DRC. This is now the second-largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded and is growing faster than any previous Ebola outbreak.

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The number of confirmed Ebola cases caused by the Bundibugyo virus outbreak in the DRC increased by 18.2% in the past week, a much smaller jump in cases compared to the 32.5% increase seen the week prior. The number of confirmed deaths increased by 21.1%. As of August 4, a total of 3,973 cases (+613 this week) and 1,801 deaths (+314 this week) have been confirmed. The case fatality ratio has also increased to 45%, meaning 45% of people who have been recorded as having Ebola have died. A total of 776 people have recovered from the disease. The current percentage of contacts traced by health officials is 78.4%, similar to the 78.9% reported July 30, across all provinces currently reporting cases, but that number varies from as low as 63% in Haut-Uélé to as high as 100% in South Kivu. However, according to the Africa CDC, the number of listed contacts for each case is much lower in the DRC than in previous outbreaks, meaning that while nearly 80% of listed contacts are being followed, there are likely many more contacts that have not been identified. This is the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record, with eight times more cases and six times more deaths at week 11 than its closest comparator, the 2014-16 West Africa Ebola outbreak. That outbreak in West Africa, the largest ever, recorded a total of 28,610 cases and 11,308 deaths over approximately two and a half years. The ongoing outbreak in DRC is the second-largest Ebola outbreak recorded globally and the largest ever in the DRC.

Driven by regional conflict, displacement, and cross-border movement, the virus expanded into three new health zones in the past week. Last week, 48 health zones across five provinces in the DRC (Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, and Tshopo) had reported cases over the course of the outbreak, which was declared a public health emergency of international concern in May by the WHO. This week, that number grew to 51 health zones. Ituri Province continues to report the most cases on a week-by-week basis, and accounts for 87% of all confirmed cases reported since the outbreak began in May.

Uganda’s last confirmed case was discharged on June 16, but the WHO will monitor the situation for 42 days to ensure no continued transmission. In total, Uganda has reported 20 confirmed cases and two deaths since the beginning of the outbreak. All of these cases were epidemiologically linked, and the Uganda Ministry of Health announced on July 28 that they were officially Ebola-free. However, the WHO will continue to monitor the situation for 42 days after the discharge of the last patient to ensure no transmission chains were overlooked. The latest WHO situation report notes that Uganda is at risk of importing new cases due to the ongoing outbreak in the DRC, which shares a border with Uganda.

No additional Ebola cases have been reported outside of the DRC since the case reported in France in late June. This individual had traveled to DRC to support outbreak response efforts and tested positive after returning to France. They were discharged from an isolation unit on July 4 after two negative PCR test results. All of their contacts completed their 21-day follow-up period, and none developed symptoms.

The impacts of the Ebola outbreak in the DRC go beyond just those infected with the virus as it interrupts routine healthcare services. In Ituri province, maternal deaths due to childbirth complications have nearly doubled since the outbreak began, jumping from an average of 3.1 to 5.8 deaths per week. Many women are foregoing prenatal care as they fear being put into isolation, and others are deciding on home births.