WHO declares Ebola outbreak in DR Congo over after 64 cases

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Topics
Ebola
Viral Hemorrhagic Fever
ebola vax
World Bank/Vincent Tremeau/Flickr cc

The World Health Organization (WHO) today confirmed that the Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is officially over. The agency notes that 42 days, or two complete transmission cycles, have passed since the last person confirmed with Ebola tested negative for the virus and was discharged on October 19.

This is the DRC’s 16th Ebola outbreak since 1976. According to the WHO, a total of 64 cases (53 confirmed, 11 probable), including 45 deaths (case-fatality rate of 70.3%), were reported from six health areas in Bulape Health Zone, Kasai province. Five healthcare workers were infected during this outbreak, three of whom died. 

“The outbreak initially involved nosocomial transmission and a high-transmission funeral gathering, with high mortality among young children,” the WHO said. 

More than 47,000 vaccinated 

More than 47,500 people were vaccinated against Ebola during this outbreak, and the WHO, the DRC ministry of health, and multiple partners were able to erect a 32-bed Ebola treatment center within days of identifying the first case.

Controlling and ending this Ebola outbreak in three months is a remarkable achievement.

“Controlling and ending this Ebola outbreak in three months is a remarkable achievement. National authorities, frontline health workers, partners and communities acted with speed and unity in one of the country’s hard-to-reach localities,” said Mohamed Janabi, MD, the WHO regional director for Africa, in a press release. 

The DRC Ebola outbreak is the second Ebola outbreak in 2025; earlier this spring Uganda saw an Ebola outbreak that sickened 14 people, including four fatally.

Death toll climbs in Ethiopia's Marburg outbreak

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Topics
Marburg
Viral Hemorrhagic Fever

Marburg virus under the microscopeThree new deaths have been confirmed in Ethiopia's Marburg virus outbreak, bringing the death toll to eight, according to the latest update from Ethiopian health officials.

There are now 12 confirmed cases in the outbreak, which was first reported in mid-November and is occurring in the southern part of the country. Last week, the Ministry of Health said that 73 suspected case-patients have been tested so far, and 349 contacts were being monitored. Three patients have recovered, and one is still in treatment.

Outbreaks tied to high death rates

This is Ethiopia's first outbreak of the severe and often deadly viral hemorrhagic fever, which is typically transmitted to people from fruit bats, can spread through contact with bodily fluids and contaminated materials, and is in the same family as Ebola. Nineteen outbreaks have previously been reported globally.

The case-fatality rate in previous outbreaks has ranged from 24% to 88%. Unlike with Ebola, there is no vaccine. 

In a media briefing today, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, said the WHO is providing testing supplies and protective equipment for health care workers and deploying experts to support local authorities.

Quick takes: More infant botulism in US, avian flu in Indiana

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Topics
Botulism
Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)
Foodborne Disease
  • According to the latest update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are now 37 US infants sickened with botulism in a multistate outbreak tied to ByHeart infant powder formula, with six new infections. Seventeen states now report cases, two more than the previous update on November 20. All 37 infants have required hospitalization, with no death reported. The CDC urged parents and caregivers to stop using any ByHeart Whole Nutrition infant formula immediately.
  • The US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) published several new commercial poultry detections over the past week, including four outbreaks in Indiana’s LaGrange County, which has been the epicenter of bird flu activity in recent weeks. LaGrange detections included 73,900 birds at four facilities. In Wayne County, North Carolina, two major commercial turkey farms were also hit, involving 17,800 birds in total. In the past 30 days 95 flocks have had confirmed outbreaks, including 43 commercial flocks. In total, 184 million birds have been affected since the outbreak began in February 2022. 

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