Ebola Outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo Becomes Deadliest in Country History

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has killed 2,325 people, according to the latest data from the country's National Public Health Institute. The figure surpasses the 2,299 deaths recorded in the 2018-2020 outbreak and makes the current event the deadliest in the nation's history.

Confirmed cases stand at 4,945, including more than 100 new infections detected in a single 24-hour period in mid-August. The outbreak, the country's 17th, was declared on 15 May 2026. It has already become the largest by case count and is moving faster than earlier episodes.

The virus is the Bundibugyo strain. No approved vaccines or treatments exist for it. Case fatality has risen from about 20 percent in early June to 46 percent, meaning nearly one in two confirmed patients dies. Health workers account for at least 155 cases and 45 deaths.

Weak health infrastructure, community resistance and insecurity have slowed identification and isolation of cases. The World Health Organization has described the outbreak as the fastest-growing on record. United Nations humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher called for speed, scale and solidarity before the virus advances further.

Only the 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic, which recorded 28,616 cases and 11,310 deaths across three countries, remains larger. That outbreak took nearly five months to reach 1,000 deaths. The Congo outbreak passed 2,000 deaths in less than three months.

The International Health Regulations Emergency Committee has met to review the situation. Neighbouring Uganda has reported linked cases. Without effective medical countermeasures, the trajectory depends on contact tracing, safe burial practices and community cooperation in the affected provinces.