2018 Kivu Ebola outbreak

Disease	Ebola virus disease
Virus strain	Zaire ebolavirus
Source
Location	Democratic Republic of the Congo
First outbreak
First reported
Index case	1 August 2018
Dates
Date

The 2018 Kivu Ebola outbreak was a significant outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) that occurred in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It was the second-largest Ebola outbreak in history, following the West African Ebola epidemic of 2014-2016. The outbreak primarily affected the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri, regions that were already experiencing conflict and instability.

Background

The outbreak was declared on 1 August 2018, shortly after the end of another Ebola outbreak in the Équateur province of the DRC. The Zaire ebolavirus, the most lethal strain of the Ebola virus, was identified as the causative agent. The outbreak occurred in a region with a high population density and significant movement of people, complicating containment efforts.

Response and Challenges

The response to the outbreak was led by the Ministry of Health of the DRC, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and various international partners. The response included the deployment of vaccines, such as the rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine, which had been used successfully in previous outbreaks.

However, the response faced numerous challenges, including:

• **Security issues**: The region was plagued by armed conflict, which hindered the ability of health workers to reach affected areas.
• **Community mistrust**: There was significant mistrust of health workers and the government, leading to resistance to vaccination and treatment efforts.
• **Mobility of populations**: The movement of people across borders and within the region made it difficult to track and contain the spread of the virus.

Outcomes

By the end of the outbreak on 25 June 2020, there were 3,470 confirmed cases and 2,287 deaths, with a case fatality rate of approximately 66%. The outbreak was declared over after 42 days had passed since the last confirmed case tested negative twice for the virus.

Impact

The outbreak had a significant impact on the affected regions, exacerbating existing health and social issues. It highlighted the need for improved health infrastructure and better preparedness for future outbreaks. The use of vaccines and rapid response teams were seen as critical components in controlling the outbreak.

Also see

• Ebola virus disease
• West African Ebola epidemic
• Zaire ebolavirus
• rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine
• World Health Organization