On May 8, 2018, the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo declared an outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease after a cluster of undiagnosed illnesses was reported five days prior.
The index case was never identified, likely due to stigma, but the initial outbreak started in the rural areas of Equateur Province before it spread to Mbandaka, an urban, densely populated center on May 17th. In less than two weeks, $63 million USD was donated by partners to support response efforts and 3,481 people were vaccinated against EVD. The case fatality rate was 61% but resulted in only 54 confirmed cases and 33 total deaths.
After the outbreak was concluded, a geospatial modeling study was conducted to identify the key interventions that limited the spread of infection, and it was found that early vaccination was crucial to reducing the extent and level of risk by over two-thirds. The rapid and highly coordinated response was commendable and resulted in quick control and containment of the outbreak.