Overview
- This week the Democratic Republic of Congo recorded more than 10,000 confirmed Ebola cases and a death toll that has now passed 5,000, making it the country’s deadliest outbreak on record.
- Weekly case counts have held at a high plateau of roughly 400–500 confirmed infections, showing the outbreak is not shrinking even as authorities struggle to control transmission.
- Health teams are failing to trace most infections with about 80 percent of new cases found outside known contact networks, a gap driven by conflict, displacement and community mistrust.
- Vaccine testing has begun under the TUMAINI trials to evaluate Ervebo and Bundibugyo-specific candidates, but researchers say months are needed to gather results and confirm protection.
- The virus has spread to several neighbouring countries, attacks on health workers have forced restricted access in hard‑to‑reach areas, and strained funding and services are disrupting routine care and outbreak response.