Ebola Outbreak in DR Congo Becomes Second-Deadliest in History
World
The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has surpassed 5,000, while deaths have approached 2,400. Official data puts the case fatality rate at 47.3%, making the current outbreak the second-deadliest Ebola epidemic on record.
According to the DRC Ministry of Health, 5,021 people have been infected and 2,378 have died. The outbreak was officially declared on May 15, 2026, becoming the country’s 17th Ebola outbreak.
The outbreak is being caused by the rare Bundibugyo species of Ebola virus. There is currently no licensed vaccine or specific treatment for the virus, although vaccine candidates and potential treatments are undergoing research and clinical trials.
The outbreak was initially detected in Ituri Province before spreading to other parts of the country. By the end of July, the World Health Organization had reported cases across five provinces and 49 health zones.
In May, the WHO designated the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The outbreak was also detected in neighboring Uganda, where authorities declared on July 28 that the country’s outbreak had ended.
The current epidemic has already surpassed the death toll of the 2018–2020 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is now second only to the 2014–2016 West Africa epidemic, which claimed more than 11,000 lives.
The outbreak is being caused by the rare Bundibugyo species of Ebola virus. There is currently no licensed vaccine or specific treatment for the virus, although vaccine candidates and potential treatments are undergoing research and clinical trials.
The outbreak was initially detected in Ituri Province before spreading to other parts of the country. By the end of July, the World Health Organization had reported cases across five provinces and 49 health zones.
In May, the WHO designated the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The outbreak was also detected in neighboring Uganda, where authorities declared on July 28 that the country’s outbreak had ended.
The current epidemic has already surpassed the death toll of the 2018–2020 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is now second only to the 2014–2016 West Africa epidemic, which claimed more than 11,000 lives.
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