RAPID #RISK #ASSESSMENT: #EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE, DRC (#WHO, September 19 '25)

 

{Summary}

Overall risk and confidence

Overall risk

-- National: High 

-- Regional: Moderate   

-- Global: Low   

Confidence in available information 

-- National: Moderate

-- Regional: Moderate

-- Global: Moderate

Risk statement

On 1 September 2025, WHO received an alert from the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) regarding suspected cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in the Bulape Health Zone, Kasai Province, DRC. 

The first currently known suspected EVD case was admitted to the Bulape General Reference Hospital on 20 August 2025 and reported to have died five days later (25 August 2025).

This is a 34-year-old female patient with a 34-week gestational age who presented with fever, bloody diarrhoea, followed by anal, oral, and nasal haemorrhage, vomiting, and asthenia. 

She reportedly died on 25 August 2025, with a clinical picture of multiple organ failure. 

Two of the contacts of this first case (a midwife and a laboratory technician) also developed similar symptoms and died a few days later.  

As of 4 September 2025, a total of 28 suspected cases, including 15 deaths (case fatality ratio: 54 %) had been reported from the Bulape health zone (Bulape, Bulape COM and Dikolo) and Mweka health zone. 

Among deaths, four are health care workers.  

In addition, 20% of the suspected cases are aged under 15 years. 

Five blood samples and one swab were collected from six suspected cases from the three health areas and arrived today at the National Public Health Laboratory (INRB) in Kinshasa for confirmation testing.

A crisis committee has been activated at the local and provincial levels, risk communication and active surveillance activities are underway, all cases are isolated, Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) measures are being implemented, isolation and contact tracing are underway, and patients are receiving intravenous medications, including ceftriaxone and metronidazole. 

The INRB confirmed Ebola virus (EBOV), Orthoebolavirus zairense species was detected through RTPCR assays, including GeneXpert, on 3 September.    

At national level, the risk is considered high due to:  

• Information gaps on the cases, including the first case, particularly: 

-- the date of symptom onset, 

-- their therapeutic itinerary, 

-- the potential number of contacts within the community, and 

-- epidemiological links between cases does not allow an assessment as to the extent of the outbreak. Similar alerts have been reported from this location/region in the past few months.  

• Most of the cases recorded so far in this health zone live in the Health Areas with a high population density and mobility. This could accelerate disease transmission within the community.  

• The last EVD outbreak in this health zone, Bulape, was in 2007, 18 years later, the capacities required for the response to a potential EVD outbreak may not exist.  

• So far, in addition to Bulape health zone, the epicentre of the outbreak, suspected cases are being reported in the neighbouring district of Mweka showing a potential geographic extension of the outbreak.   

• Bulape has a large market every Friday, attracting people from the surrounding villages. The city of Mweka borders a health district in the province of Kasai-Central (Bena Leka). Furthermore, population movements between Bulape and Tshikapa, the capital city of Kasai province, are frequent as part of trading activities.  Tshikapa city is considered as a regional market hub receiving populations from neighbouring provinces.  

At the regional level the risk is moderate due to the proximity of Bulape to Tshikapa city, the capital city of Kasai province and the Angolan border (approximately 100 to 200 kilometres depending on the nearest border crossing point) as well as population movement between Bulape and Tshikapa then Tshikapa and Angola.  

At the global level, the risk is low. 

(...)

Source: World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/who-rapid-risk-assessment---ebola-virus-disease--democratic-republic-of-the-congo-v.1

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#Thermal #tolerance and #inactivation of #Ebola virus

{Summary}

HIGHLIGHTS

• The investigation demonstrated a high level of tolerance of EBOV to thermal disinfection.

• A water-bath is recommended and the tubes should be fully submerged during the process.

• The established inactivation guidelines should be followed very strictly.

Dear Editor,

Viruses of the genus Orthoebolavirus cause sporadic outbreaks of severe haemorrhagic fever, with case fatality rates ranging from 25% to 90% (Mahanty and Bray, 2004). Six species of the virus (Orthoebolavirus zairense, sudanense, bundibugyoense, taiense, restonense, and bombaliense) have so far been identified (Biedenkopf et al., 2023). Among these, Orthoebolavirus zairense, commonly known as Ebola virus (EBOV), stands out as the most virulent. Given its high contagiousness and lethality, EBOV must be manipulated under biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) conditions, as stipulated by the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China's list of human pathogenic microorganisms. Prior to being removed from a BSL-4 laboratory, it is imperative that infectious EBOV undergoes complete inactivation. Here we systematically evaluate viral thermostability under BSL-4 containment conditions, demonstrating EBOV’s marked thermotolerance.

(...)

Source: Virologica Sinica, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1995820X25000975

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