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3h ago

Ebola Outbreak Becomes Deadliest in DR Congo History

Rapid spread of the Bundibugyo virus is outpacing containment, requiring urgent scale‑up of surveillance, treatment, safe‑burial capacity to prevent wider transmission.

People dressed in protective gear lower into a grave the coffin containing the remains of Jeannine Katusabe, who died of Ebola, during a burial service in Bunia, Ituri province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Tuesday, Aug. 11.
Passengers who disembarked from a boat intercepted by health authorities wait to be tested following the death of a passenger suspected of having Ebola, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, August 6, 2026. Authorities said the passenger had disembarked earlier in the city. REUTERS/Benoit Nyemba/File Photo
Volunteers place the coffin of a 3-year-old child, presumed to have died of Ebola virus disease, during his funeral at a cemetery in Bunia on June 11.
Members of the Civil Protection team, which works to help mitigate the spread of the Ebola virus, wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), disinfect after handling the body of an unidentified man, who according to his family, died of Ebola, in Bunia, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, July 10, 2026. REUTERS/Gradel Muyisa Mumbere/File Photo

Overview

  • The DRC’s health institute reported on Sunday that confirmed cases rose to 4,945 and deaths to 2,325, making this outbreak the deadliest ever recorded in the country.
  • The epidemic has spread across six provinces and 55 health zones with Ituri province the epicentre, and new areas such as Bas‑Uele have recorded recent cases.
  • The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo species for which there are no licensed vaccines or proven therapies, and a small number of experimental vaccines and treatments are now being trialed.
  • Surveillance and response gaps are driving late detection and community deaths, with the case fatality ratio climbing to about 46–47% and many infections identified only after patients die.
  • The UN and partners have announced extra funding and staff, including a $30.5 million allocation and deployments, but conflict, unpaid health workers, limited burial teams and strained treatment capacity continue to hamper control and raise regional risk.