Ebola Outbreak in the DRC: Understanding the Threat and Strengthening Our Response
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has confirmed its 16th outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), this time in Kasai Province. Health officials have reported 28 suspected cases, including 15 deaths (a case fatality ratio of 54%), with infections identified in the Bulape and Mweka health zones. Among the victims are four healthcare workers, highlighting the severe risk faced by those on the frontlines (Africa CDC, 2025).
What is Ebola Virus Disease?
Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is a zoonotic viral haemorrhagic fever caused by Ebola virus (species Orthoebolavirus zairense). It is one of the most dangerous infectious diseases known, with past outbreaks reporting case fatality rates between 25% and 90%.
Ebola is first introduced to humans through close contact with infected wildlife, such as fruit bats or primates. Once in humans, it spreads through direct contact with blood, secretions, organs, or contaminated surfaces. The virus disables the immune system and triggers severe inflammation, leading to bleeding, organ failure, and shock in severe cases. Symptoms appear within 2–21 days, starting with fever and fatigue and progressing to vomiting, diarrhoea, and sometimes haemorrhage. Survivors can also transmit the virus months later, although this is rare (WHO, 2025).
The Public Health Challenge
Containing Ebola requires a multi-pronged approach:
Rapid detection and isolation of cases
Contact tracing and ring vaccination to stop transmission
Strict infection prevention and control (IPC) in healthcare settings
Safe burial practices to prevent community spread
But in Kasai Province, challenges remain. Population movement, remote geography, and limited healthcare resources make it difficult to identify and isolate every case quickly. This is where innovative technology can help.
How the KRAKEN™ System Could Help
The KRAKEN™ system offers a real-time, on-site pathogen monitoring solution that could significantly strengthen Ebola outbreak response:
Early Detection: Ebola has an incubation period of 2–21 days, during which infected individuals may not yet show symptoms — but can soon become highly contagious. KRAKEN™ can detect Ebola virus RNA in wastewater or environmental samples much earlier than clinical case reporting, flagging potential outbreaks before symptomatic cases appear. This gives health authorities valuable lead time to begin testing, isolate suspected cases, and deploy treatment before the disease progresses to severe — and often fatal — stages.
Localized Surveillance: Deploying KRAKEN™ units in key health zones or near hospitals could help health authorities detect hidden transmission chains or flare-ups faster than traditional case reporting.
Data-Driven Response: Results are automatically uploaded to a digital dashboard, allowing rapid mapping of high-risk areas and targeted allocation of resources like PPE, vaccines, and treatment units.
Protecting Health Workers: By identifying outbreaks earlier, KRAKEN™ can reduce exposure risk for frontline workers, who have accounted for multiple deaths in this outbreak.
This proactive surveillance could complement contact tracing and clinical testing, helping break transmission chains before they expand — a vital tool in a country that has now faced 16 Ebola outbreaks in under 50 years.
Bottom Line: The situation in Kasai Province is a stark reminder of how quickly Ebola can re-emerge and claim lives. With a combination of scientific vigilance, vaccination campaigns, and innovative tools like KRAKEN™, the DRC and its partners can move closer to containing this outbreak — and preventing the next one.
