Ebola outbreak in southern Congo: 31 of 38 confirmed cases dead as vaccination begins

The World Health Organization said Thursday that 31 of 38 confirmed Ebola cases in southern Congo have resulted in deaths, as authorities confront a new outbreak near Angola. The latest figures show the casualty rate has nearly doubled since last week, with more than 900 contacts identified so far, underscoring the rapid spread of the virus in a region with limited health infrastructure. Vaccinations began in the affected region on Sunday as health authorities intensified their response to curb transmission and protect at-risk populations.

"More than 500 health care workers and contacts have received their vaccination, offering them crucial protection," said Dr. Patrick Otim, an official at WHO Africa's program, underscoring the ongoing vaccination push that accompanies case identification and contact tracing efforts. The vaccination campaign is part of a broader deployment as international health bodies coordinate with local authorities to slow the outbreak and prevent further deaths.

Congolese authorities announced a fresh Ebola outbreak on Sept. 5 in the locality of Bulape in Kasai, a south-central region near Angola. The cluster notes describe a disease that has escalated rapidly within a relatively short period, prompting urgent containment measures and cross-border health vigilance given the proximity to neighboring countries.

Last week, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the disease had spread from two districts to four, signaling expanding transmission within the Kasai region and complicating vaccination and case-management logistics. Authorities have described the situation as dynamic, with authorities continually updating the geographic scope of the response as new cases are confirmed and contacts are traced.

An additional batch of vaccines approved by the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision will start arriving from Friday through Sunday, according to Sheillah Nsasiirwe, Health Emergency Officer for Immunization at WHO Africa. The shipments aim to bolster the supply available for frontline workers and high-risk contacts who require timely protection as the outbreak evolves.

"The vaccination has not been implemented as fast as we would have desired it to because of accessibility challenges which have caused delays in transporting the vaccines," Nsasiirwe said, highlighting the practical hurdles that health workers have faced in getting vaccines to Bulape and surrounding areas. Storage limitations in Bulape have compounded these delays, with officials noting that vaccines are being transported in small batches to mitigate the risk of spoilage and ensure cold-chain integrity where infrastructure is limited.

Public health officials stress that accelerating vaccine delivery, expanding contact tracing, and reinforcing clinical care capacity are essential to bending the outbreak’s trajectory. Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely, coordinate with international partners, and adjust containment strategies as new data on case numbers and geographic spread become available.