WHO: First confirmed Ebola recovery in DRC outbreak

Source: AFP

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday announced the first recovery of a confirmed Ebola patient in the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

"The DRC has said that on May 27, a patient recovered and left the hospital and has been discharged into the community," WHO's Anais Legand told reporters.

Legand, a WHO technical officer on viral haemorrhagic fevers, noted that this marked the first confirmed patient to be discharged from a care centre "following two negative tests." She added that she expected other recoveries among individuals who have not yet received laboratory confirmation of test results.

Current Outbreak Statistics

As of the latest WHO data:

• DRC:
• 125 confirmed cases
• Over 900 suspected cases
• 17 confirmed deaths
• 223 suspected deaths
• Uganda:
• 7 confirmed cases
• 1 death

Legand stated that three of the Ugandan cases were imported from the DRC, while the others were all "linked," with "no evidence of community transmission at this stage."

Healthcare Workers at Risk

Out of the confirmed cases in the DRC, 16 were among healthcare workers, who are particularly vulnerable to Ebola. The virus spreads through bodily fluids and close contact with symptomatic patients or the bodies of those who die from the infection.

"It is a terrible disease," Legand said, pointing out that "you get it when you want to help someone who is sick."

She highlighted the complexity of outbreak response, noting that to halt transmission, "you have to have communities not touch someone they love when they are feeling sick."

"What's the most important thing is that we can support them to get early access to care," she stressed, adding that this could greatly improve survival rates.

The Current Strain: Bundibugyo

No vaccine or specific treatment exists for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which is responsible for the current outbreak. This strain can have a case fatality rate of up to 50%.

For known cases in this outbreak, the fatality rate currently appears to be below 25%, although that number is evolving.

Legand stressed it was possible to "do more" to push Ebola's "huge" fatality rate down.

"We can scale up optimised intensive care. We can support the communities to recognise the symptoms early to get early diagnostics, so that they can receive the level of care they need," she said. "Access to care can help save life."

Broader Context

Ebola has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa over the past 50 years.

The DRC is on its 17th outbreak of the disease. The deadliest outbreak, between 2018 and 2020, claimed nearly 2,300 lives out of 3,500 cases.

Nearly one million people have been displaced by conflict in Ituri province, the epicenter of the outbreak and one of the most troubled areas of the DRC.

No Travel Restrictions Recommended

To rein in transmission, the WHO says strong infection prevention and control, along with safe burials of highly infective bodies, is essential.

The agency does not recommend international travel restrictions, although it states that no one who is sick with Ebola should travel, nor should anyone from affected areas who are contacts of confirmed or suspected cases.

The DRC and Uganda are required under the International Health Regulations to implement exit screening measures. However, Legand said that "based on current information, WHO does not recommend any restriction on travel or trade with the Democratic Republic of the Congo or with Uganda."

Published - May 29, 2026 06:10 pm IST