| 2025 Kasaï Province Ebola outbreak | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Disease | Ebola |
| Virus strain | Zaire ebolavirus |
| Location | Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Date | 20 August 2025 – ongoing |
| Confirmed cases | 81 |
Deaths | 28 |
An outbreak of the Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV) was declared in Kasai Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo by the country's Ministry of Public Health on 4 September 2025. [1] [2] At least 81 confirmed cases were recorded, while at least 28 people died. [3]
Since Ebola was first identified in 1976 the Democratic Republic of the Congo (or Zaire) has had fourteen other outbreaks of Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV), and also had one outbreak of another Ebola variant of Bundibugyo virus disease (BDBV). Kasai Province has had two of these outbreaks. [2]
| Date | Virus | Human cases | Human deaths | CFR | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug–Nov 2007 | EBOV | 264 | 187 | 71% | Outbreak was declared in September in Luebo and Mweka health zones of the Kasaï-Occidental province. [4] |
| Dec 2008–Feb 2009 | EBOV | 32 | 14 | 45% | Occurred in the Mweka and Luebo health zones of the Kasaï-Occidental province. [5] |
As of 14 September 2025, a total of 81 confirmed cases had been identified. [3]
On 20 August, the first known index case of the outbreak, a 34-year old pregnant woman who was a resident of Boulapé in the Boulapé health zone was admitted to Bulape General Reference Hospital and died of multiple organ failure on 25 August. [6] [7] [8]
By 4 September when the outbreak was declared, 28 cases and 15 deaths (confirmed, probable or suspected) had been identified of which 14 deaths were in Boulapé and one death was in Mweka. [2] [6] The death toll included four medical workers including nurses and lab technicians. [6]
By 6 September 31 cases and 14 deaths (confirmed, probable or suspected) had been identified in Boulapé health zone, and 1 case and 1 death (confirmed, probable or suspected) in Mweka heath zone. [9] On September 7 the head of the Mweka health zone Dr. Amitié Bukidi said all 4 health zones (Boulapé, Mweka, Kakenge and Mushenge) of Mweka Territory had received suspected cases, while the chief medical officer of the Boulapé health zone Dr. Jean Paul Mikobi said many had fled their villages which had affected tracing and monitoring. [10] [11] By 10 September cases had risen to 42 with 15 deaths (confirmed, probable or suspected). [12]
By 12 September the four health zones of Boulapé, Mweka and Mushenge in Mweka Territory, and Dekese in Dekese Territory had officially registered cases with a combined total of 68 cases and 16 deaths (confirmed, probable or suspected) as reported to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [13] [14] This marked the first official spread of the disease outside of Mweka Territory. [13] [14]
On 14 September the DRC health authorities announced that 81 confirmed cases and 28 deaths had been recorded. [3] The WHO put the number of confirmed cases at 38 as of 18 September, of which 31 had died. [15] On 21 September, the number of confirmed cases rose to 47, of which 35 had died. [16]
| Province | Cases | Deaths | Last update |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kasai | 81 Confirmed | 28 Confirmed | 14 September 2025 [3] |
| Total | 81 Confirmed | 28 Confirmed | 14 September 2025 [3] |
The DRC health health ministry informed the World Health Organization of suspected Ebola cases on 1 September. [8] The DRC health ministry then declared an outbreak of Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV) on 4 September after the first samples were taken and confirmed by the National Institute of Biomedical Research in the capital Kinshasa. A Rapid Response Team of the health authorities in the DRC were joined by World Health Organization (WHO) experts and deployed to Kasai Province by that same day. [1] The WHO ordered the release of 2,000 doses of Ebola vaccines that had been placed on standby in Kinshasa to vaccinate contacts and health workers. [17]
On 5 September, authorities in Mweka Territory imposed a suspension of classes and graduation ceremonies and the closure of weekly markets. [10] On 8 September the provincial governor announced Boulapé health zone had been put under confinement with checkpoints erected to restrict movement in and out. [18] The first Ebola treatment center was set up by the DRC health health ministry, with support from WHO and Doctors Without Borders (MSF), in the compound of Bulape General Reference Hospital with the first patients admitted and mAb114 administered on September 9. [19] A UN peacekeeping helicopter delivered Ebola vaccines to Boulapé on 12 September. [20] The first shipment of the 400 doses of Ebola vaccines were handed out to those most at risk in Boulapé on 14 September. [3]
Ebola is mainly spread through contact with bodily fluids. The average case fatality rate of Ebola (all 4 viruses) is 50%. [21]
The results from whole genome sequencing from the first confirmed cases of the outbreak suggested that this outbreak was a new zoonotic spillover event and not linked to the past Ebola outbreaks in Kasai province, or other outbreaks elsewhere. [8]