Outbreaks

Updated 10/03/25

September 28, 2025: As of 28 September 2025, a total of 64 cases (53 confirmed and 11 probable), including 42 deaths (31 confirmed, 11 probable), have been reported from Bulape Health Zone, Kasai Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (WHO African Region, https://www.afro.who.int/countries/democratic-republic-of-congo/publication/who-ebola-situation-report-drc-25-03-28-september-2025, accessed 10/3/25)

September 18, 2025: The CDC issued a Health Advisory alert on its Health Alert Network (HAN) about a new outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). (CDC, accessed 5/22/25, https://www.cdc.gov/ebola/situation-summary/index.html)

September 12, 2025: There are 63 people with suspected or confirmed Ebola and 16 deaths, including four health workers, in the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). (CDC, accessed 5/12/25, https://www.cdc.gov/ebola/situation-summary/index.html)

September 4, 2025: The Ministry of Health of the DRC has declared an Ebola outbreak in the central province of Kasai. It has been confirmed as Zaire ebolavirus, the species responsible for the 2014 West African Ebola Outbreak, and for which there are effective preventative and therapeutic medical countermeasures in the U.S. and DRC.

See the full chronology of Ebola Virus Disease outbreaks.

About Ebola Virus Disease

Ebolaviruses are members of the family Filoviridae, single-stranded negative-sense viruses that cause viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) in humans and non-human primates. Although infection with an ebolavirus is rare, outbreaks occur with increased frequency, and case fatality rates can be as high as 90%. Ebola virus (Zaire ebolavirus) was first discovered in 1976 during an outbreak close to the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (previously known as Zaire). Since then, six species of ebolavirus have been identified, four of which have been documented to cause disease in humans (Ebola virus, Sudan virus, Bundibugyo virus, Tai Forest virus).  

Bats are suspected to be the natural reservoir host for ebolavirus, although this has yet to be confirmed. 

The virus is highly transmissible with an infectious dose of 1-10 viral particles. Transmission occurs after direct contact with body fluids (blood, sweat, tears, saliva, feces, urine, vomit, breast milk, amniotic fluid, and semen) through broken skin or mucous membranes of a live or dead infected animal or human. Transmission can also occur through contact with objects contaminated with the body fluids from an infected animal or human including clothing, bedding, medical instruments, and more. The average incubation period is 8-10 days with a range from 2 - 21 days but may vary based on species. An infected person is not considered contagious until they exhibit symptoms. 

There are 2 FDA-approved therapeutics, Inmazeb and Ebanga, available to treat EVD caused by Zaire ebolavirus. There are no approved therapeutics for EVD caused by other ebolavirus species, although investigational therapeutics may be available. Aggressive supportive care is essential in treating patients with EVD. There is 1 FDA-approved vaccine for the prevention of EVD caused by Zaire ebolavirus, Ervebo. It is unknown if this vaccine will provide cross-protection against the other species. Other investigational vaccines against the other species may be available. 

Where to Start

• See the CDC’s “Ebola Disease Basics.”
• See the WHO’s Ebola Virus Disease Fact Sheet.
• See the WHO's Disease Outbreak News (DONs) for the latest updates on recent outbreaks of Ebola.

The History of NETEC and Its Connection to Ebola

In 2014, an Ebola outbreak began in Guinea and quickly spread to neighboring countries in West Africa. It became the largest Ebola outbreak in history, eventually spreading to multiple countries, including the United States, Italy, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The outbreak, which lasted until 2016, resulted in more cases and deaths than all previous Ebola outbreaks combined. 

In response to the global surge in Ebola cases, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established the National Ebola Training and Education Center (NETEC) in 2015. The center was created as part of a coordinated network to strengthen the U.S. response to the Ebola outbreak, which included the Regional Ebola Treatment Network (RETN) and specialized treatment centers.

Emory University, the University of Nebraska Medical Center/Nebraska Medicine, and NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue were selected to lead NETEC. These institutions were chosen for their success in treating individuals evacuated from West Africa, demonstrating expertise in high-level isolation, infection prevention, and clinical care.

In 2019, NETEC expanded its mission to address a wider range of infectious diseases. The center rebranded as the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center, reflecting its broader scope to include emerging threats like Mpox, and other infectious diseases.

Today, NETEC remains a vital component of the U.S. public health infrastructure, ensuring healthcare workers and facilities across the country are better prepared to handle emerging infectious disease outbreaks.

Read the Ebola Timeline.

Selected Resources

NETEC has curated essential Ebola resources. If you have questions or need support, you can submit a request via the website or by emailing info@netec.org, and one of NETEC’s experts in special pathogens will respond.

Identify

CDC Current Outbreak List: https://www.cdc.gov/outbreaks/index.html

Travel Clinical Assistant (TCA), Georgia Department of Public Health: https://dph.georgia.gov/TravelClinicalAssistant

Isolate

CDC Interim Guidance for Environmental Infection Control in Hospitals for Ebola Virus: https://www.cdc.gov/viral-hemorrhagic-fevers/hcp/infection-control/environmental-infection-control-hospitals.html

Inform

CDC Health Alert Network (HAN): https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/

CDC Health Department Directories: https://www.cdc.gov/public-health-gateway/php/communications-resources/health-department-directories.html

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

CDC PPE Guidance for Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers: https://www.cdc.gov/viral-hemorrhagic-fevers/hcp/guidance/

Treatment and Care

Just-in-Time Training Resources: https://repository.netecweb.org/exhibits/show/netec-education/justintime

Waste Management and Cleaning and Disinfection

CDC Handling VHF-Associated Waste: https://www.cdc.gov/viral-hemorrhagic-fevers/hcp/infection-control/handling-vhf-associated-waste.html

CDC Interim Guidance for Environmental Infection Control in Hospitals for Ebola Virus: https://www.cdc.gov/viral-hemorrhagic-fevers/hcp/infection-control/environmental-infection-control-hospitals.html

Transportation

CDC Example: Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Decontamination of an Ambulance that has Transported a Person under Investigation or Patient with Confirmed Ebola: Find Ambulance Decontamination SOP here.

CDC Example: Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Patient Handoff between a Healthcare Facility and a Transporting Ambulance: Find Patient Handoff SOP here.

Additional Resources

Page Reviewed: 9/22/2022