Provided no additional infections emerge, the patient’s recovery initiates a 42-day period before the nation can officially declare its 16th Ebola outbreak contained.
Published On 19 Oct 2025
The United Nations health body has confirmed that the final Ebola patient in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been discharged from a treatment facility located in Kasai province.
This individual marks the 19th survivor among the 64 cases documented since the outbreak was first identified in September, according to a statement released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday.
Should no further infections be reported within the upcoming 42 days, health authorities will officially announce the conclusion of this Ebola episode.
Mohamed Janabi, WHO’s Africa regional director, described the patient’s recovery as an “extraordinary milestone,” especially considering the outbreak began only six weeks prior.
He emphasized on social media that the country’s swift and coordinated response, bolstered by WHO and partner organizations, was instrumental in reaching this point.
A video shared alongside the announcement on platform X captured healthcare workers rejoicing as the last patient left the Bulape treatment centre.
Today, the last #Ebola patient in Bulape, #DRC was discharged from the treatment centre.
The country’s robust response, with support from WHO and partners, was pivotal to this achievement. A 42-day countdown to declare the outbreak over has now begun.
Until then, @WHO and… pic.twitter.com/YTEpGzYwPW
– Prof. Mohamed Janabi (@ProfJanabi) October 19, 2025
This marks the 16th Ebola outbreak recorded in the DRC, initially declared on September 4 after cases emerged in the Bulape and Mweka regions within Kasai province, situated in the country’s southwest.
To date, WHO has confirmed 53 cases and identified 11 probable infections, with patients exhibiting classic Ebola symptoms such as high fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and bleeding. Tragically, 45 lives have been lost.
The Kasai province’s remote location has posed logistical challenges for healthcare teams, though this isolation may have also limited the virus’s spread, officials noted.
In response, WHO mobilized emergency teams and established a 32-bed treatment centre in the area for the first time outside of training drills. Over 35,000 individuals in Bulape have been vaccinated against Ebola.
No new infections have been reported since September 25.
First identified in 1976 during an outbreak in what is now the DRC, Ebola can be fatal in up to 90% of untreated cases, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The most severe Ebola epidemic occurred between 2014 and 2016 in West Africa, infecting approximately 28,600 people and causing 11,325 deaths, with the virus also reaching Europe and North America.
The DRC’s last Ebola flare-up was in 2022, involving a single confirmed case.
