WHO says Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo expands to 676 cases, 136 deaths

The Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo "continues to expand," reaching 676 confirmed cases and 136 deaths while spreading into new areas, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday.

Speaking from Beni in North Kivu province to reporters in Geneva, Olivier le Polain, WHO's unit head for epidemiology and analytics for response, said the outbreak was expanding both in terms of case numbers and geographic spread.

According to figures from the Congolese Health Ministry, most cases have been recorded in Ituri province, although infections have now been identified in 34 health zones across the Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.

"Almost every day, cases are being identified in new health zones," le Polain said, adding that the known caseload likely represents only part of the outbreak due to high population mobility and ongoing detection challenges.

WHO and Congolese authorities have prioritized health zones by risk level, identifying 17 hotspot areas requiring intensified support and monitoring locations considered at high risk but not yet reporting cases.

Le Polain said health workers know the measures needed to contain the outbreak, including safe burials, infection prevention in healthcare facilities, early detection, contact tracing and community engagement.

However, he warned that insecurity, a weakened health system and significant population movement continue to complicate response efforts.

"The full scale of the outbreak is not yet clear," he said, noting that surveillance, contact tracing and testing are still being expanded.

Despite the challenges, le Polain said response mechanisms are being strengthened and that WHO is supporting the government across surveillance, laboratory capacity, logistics, infection prevention, clinical care and risk communication efforts.