Democratic Republic of Congo said on Tuesday (August 11, 2026) that confirmed Ebola deaths had reached 2,011, the latest grim milestone in what health officials have described as the fastest-spreading outbreak on record.
Congo’s 17th Ebola Outbreak Declared Public Health Emergency
Congo’s public health institute has reported 4,381 confirmed cases of Ebola across five provinces, as of the latest data reviewed by Reuters. The current outbreak, which is the 17th in the country, is driven by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments available. Factors such as delayed detection of cases, ongoing conflict, and overwhelmed health services have contributed to the rapid spread of the virus, surpassing the pace of previous outbreaks. The World Health Organization has recognized this situation as a public health emergency of international concern, with cases also emerging in neighboring Uganda.
Background
A study published last month in the journal Science found that transmission may have begun in January or earlier in Ituri province, identifying more than 500 suspected cases between mid-January and May 15. The Congolese government data shows that only West Africa’s 2014 to 2016 Ebola outbreak was bigger, with 28,616 cases and 11,310 deaths recorded across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, according to the World Health Organization. It took nearly five months from the declaration of that outbreak to hit 1,000 deaths, whereas Congo’s current outbreak has hit 2,000 deaths in less than three months. In an Ebola outbreak in Congo from 2018 to 2020, it took a little over 12 months to hit 2,000 deaths. In the current outbreak, deaths have jumped from 1,000 to 2,000 in less than a month, further underscoring how quickly the virus is spreading.
Shortages of medical supplies and insecurity in affected areas have complicated efforts to trace contacts, isolate patients and curb transmission.
