The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ebola outbreak has infected 5,515 people and killed 2,642, according to the latest government figures reported on August 24, 2026. Fifty-one new cases were identified in Ituri and North Kivu provinces, according to information released Sunday. The current outbreak was declared in mid-May and is the country’s 17th Ebola outbreak.

The World Health Organization has declared the situation a public health emergency of international concern, with neighboring Uganda also under alert. Government data cited in the report said the death rate rose from about 20 percent in early June to nearly 48 percent, while another cited figure put the current rate above 85 percent. About 160 health workers have been infected and around 45 have died, WHO said.

Armed conflict, displacement, attacks on health staff and facilities, population movement for work, and infrastructure shortages are hampering containment. The outbreak involves the relatively rare Bundibugyo strain, for which no approved vaccine or specific treatment is available. WHO pledged 70,000 doses of Ervebo vaccine and said response efforts must increase two to three times.

Virunga National Park in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is strengthening health measures to protect nearby communities and endangered mountain gorillas as Ebola cases continue to emerge. The park launched an initial six-month emergency response after the World Health Organization declared the outbreak in the DRC and neighbouring Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in May.

The park has set up six health checkpoints within and around its 300km protected forest area and deployed 40 paramedics with 80 rangers. Road checkpoints provide handwashing, temperature screening and first-level isolation centres. In Ituri province, checkpoints north and south of Bunia screen travellers from Ebola-affected areas, while the park has supplied health services with protective equipment, body bags, thermometers and vehicles.

Officials said two suspected cases were detected at checkpoints and referred to public health authorities for monitoring. Data collected there is sent to the Congolese National Institute of Public Health. Conservation teams are also monitoring gorilla health and screening visitors, as mountain gorillas are susceptible to human infectious diseases. No mountain gorilla has been infected with Ebola in Virunga or elsewhere in the DRC, according to veterinarian Eddy Syaluha.

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has worsened, with deaths rising to 1,354, according to a report published on July 26, 2026. Deaths increased by nearly 40 percent in the previous five days. The latest government data put the combined total of infections and deaths at 3,075, up 27 percent from the previous week.

Experts warned that the virus is spreading through the country “like wildfire.” Al Jazeera described the rise in infections and deaths as unprecedented and said it is Congo’s fastest-moving Ebola outbreak to date. Health expert Abdul Sami Nasidi said the lack of an effective vaccine is the main reason for the rapid spread.

Control efforts have become more difficult in conflict-affected areas, where even minimal health infrastructure has not remained, Nasidi said. The circulating Bundibugyo variant is one of four rare Ebola variants and has no approved vaccine. Oxford University’s Oxford Vaccine Group said it has rapidly developed a vaccine and has administered it experimentally to one volunteer.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has reported more than 500 deaths from the ongoing Ebola outbreak, according to the World Health Organization. As of July 4, at least 506 people had died and 1,561 were confirmed infected. The outbreak, officially declared on May 15, is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, for which no vaccine or treatment currently exists. WHO has begun two clinical trials and authorized emergency use of a molecular diagnostic test.

The outbreak’s epicenter is believed to be Mongbwalu in Ituri province, where the fatality rate has reached 50.7 percent. Health authorities have not yet identified the first patient, and thousands of potential contacts remain untraced. The first month of this outbreak has been the deadliest on record. Neighboring Uganda has reported two deaths and 20 confirmed cases.

The situation has been further strained by a strike threat from frontline health workers in Ituri, who cite unpaid allowances, poor working conditions, and lack of supplies. The virus has also spread near North and South Kivu provinces, where conflict and limited access complicate containment efforts.

An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed more than 80 people, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare it an international public health emergency. According to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 88 deaths and 336 suspected infections have been reported so far. The WHO said the outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola and has been classified under the second-highest alert level, though it has not yet been declared a pandemic emergency.

Health authorities confirmed the outbreak in Ituri province near the borders with Uganda and South Sudan. The first identified patient was a nurse who showed Ebola-like symptoms on April 24 in Bunia, the provincial capital. The Congolese health minister stated that there is no vaccine or specific treatment for this strain, and the fatality rate could reach 50 percent. Medical charity Doctors Without Borders described the situation as extremely concerning and is preparing a large-scale emergency response.

The WHO warned that the true number of infections and the geographic spread remain uncertain, raising fears that the situation could be more severe than currently known.

At least 30 people, including patients, were killed when Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels attacked a health center and several villages in the Lubero region of North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of Congo. Local officials reported that 23 bodies were recovered from the Baimbwe health center, among them 11 women. The attackers also burned down parts of the health facility and several nearby houses. Colonel Alain Kiwewa, the local administrator, condemned the assault as a crime against humanity and urged residents to support joint military operations by Congolese and Ugandan forces aimed at eliminating the ADF. The group, which has links to ISIS, has been active in eastern Congo for years. A similar attack in October in the same region left around 20 people dead. Since 2021, Congo and Uganda have been conducting joint operations against the ADF, which continues to target civilians despite ongoing military efforts.