Frequently asked questions
The questions that come up most often about this outbreak and about how this site is built.
How many Ebola cases are recorded in the DRC?
The most recent toll included on this site is shown at the top of the home page, with confirmed cases, deaths, recoveries and the number of patients in isolation. These figures come from the latest official INSP bulletin and are checked once a day.
Which provinces are affected?
Six provinces are affected: Ituri, the epicentre of the outbreak, North Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo, South Kivu and Bas-Uélé. The province-by-province breakdown, with affected health zones, is available on the Provinces page.
Which Ebola species is this?
This outbreak is caused by Bundibugyo ebolavirus, not the Zaire species behind most previous outbreaks. That distinction matters: the licensed Ebola vaccine targets the Zaire species and offers no demonstrated protection against this one. The The virus page covers this in detail.
How does the virus spread?
Through direct contact with the blood, secretions or organs of an infected person or animal, alive or deceased. Traditional funeral rites and unprotected caregiving are two major drivers of transmission. There is no airborne transmission, and an infected person is not contagious before symptoms appear.
Is there a vaccine or a treatment?
Not against this species, as things stand. The Ervebo vaccine and the licensed monoclonal antibody treatments target the Zaire species. Several candidates are being evaluated in clinical trials against the Bundibugyo species. In the meantime, intensive supportive care — rehydration, oxygenation, monitoring — remains the cornerstone of treatment and markedly improves survival.
Where do the figures on this site come from?
Exclusively from the situation reports (SitRep) published by the DRC National Institute of Public Health, supplemented by the WHO Africa weekly bulletins. Every original PDF is archived and available on the Sources and bulletins page.
How often is the site updated?
An automatic check runs once a day. As soon as a new bulletin is published, the figures are extracted and the site is regenerated. The date of the latest bulletin included is shown at the top of every page.
Why do figures sometimes change retroactively?
Because the health authorities revise their own data: harmonisation between provinces, reclassification of community deaths, correction of a data-entry error. This site reflects those revisions as soon as they are published, without smoothing them. A temporary gap between the national toll and the provincial breakdown is also possible, since national figures are sometimes released first.
Is this site an official source?
No. It is an independent site that compiles and formats public data already published by official sources, without its own analysis or interpretation. For any health or travel decision, refer to the WHO and the DRC Ministry of Health.