DRC Nears End to 16th Ebola Outbreak Following Final Patient’s Recovery
A 42-day countdown has begun in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that, if successful, will declare an end to the country’s 16th Ebola outbreak. The milestone was reached on Sunday, October 19, 2025, with the release of the last confirmed patient from a treatment center in Kasai province, according to the United Nations health agency.
The patient’s recovery marks a significant turning point in the outbreak, which was declared on September 4, 2025, after cases emerged in the Bulape and Mweka areas of Kasai province. Since then, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recorded a total of 64 cases – 53 confirmed and 11 probable – resulting in 45 fatalities.
“This is a remarkable achievement,” stated Mohamed Janabi, the WHO’s director for Africa. “Given the outbreak began just six weeks ago, the country’s robust response, with support from WHO and partners, was pivotal to this achievement.”
Health workers were visibly elated as the final patient departed the treatment center in Bulape, a scene captured and shared on social media.
https://twitter.com/ProfJanabi/status/YTEpGzYwPW
A video posted by Dr. Janabi on X shows jubilant health workers celebrating the patient’s discharge.
The remote location of Kasai province initially presented logistical challenges to response teams. However, officials believe the province’s isolation may have inadvertently limited the virus’s spread. To combat the outbreak, the WHO established a 32-bed treatment center – the first of its kind in the region outside of a simulation exercise – and facilitated vaccinations for over 35,000 people in the Bulape area.
Crucially, no new cases have been identified since September 25, 2025, fueling optimism that the outbreak is contained. If this period of zero cases continues for the full 42 days, the WHO will officially declare the outbreak over.
Ebola, first identified in 1976 in what is now the DRC, is a severe and often fatal illness. Without treatment, the mortality rate can reach as high as 90 percent, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The largest outbreak in recent history occurred in West Africa from 2014 to 2016, infecting 28,600 people and claiming 11,325 lives, with cases also appearing in Europe and the United States. The DRC experienced a smaller outbreak in 2022, with only one confirmed case.
The current situation underscores the importance of rapid response and international collaboration in containing highly infectious diseases. The success in Kasai province offers a hopeful sign for future outbreak control efforts in the DRC and beyond.
