DRC’s latest deadly Ebola outbreak | Explained

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A health worker sprays disinfectant in a freshly dug grave for the body of a patient who died of Ebola, in Bunia, in Ituri province, eastern Congo, on August 12, 2026. | Photo Credit: AP

The story so far: The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has now become the deadliest in the country’s history as deaths cross 2,300 mark as of August 18, 2026.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the outbreak is on track to surpass the 2014-16 outbreak in West Africa, the deadliest on record with over 28,616 cases and 11,325 deaths. As cases and deaths mount, the strife-torn DRC is struggling to contain the spread of the deadly disease.

The country has reported over 2,325 deaths, exceeding the toll of 2,299 reported in the previous outbreak, according to the WHO. The fatality rate has increased to nearly 47%. The number of confirmed cases stood at 4,945, including the 101 new cases detected in the previous 24 hours. Around 1,040 people have recovered and while 730 are still hospitalised or in isolation.

This ebola outbreak — the 17th in the country — spread to a sixth province with a death reported in Bas-uele. While Ituri still shoulders a heavy burden with a maximum number of cases, the disease has also affected people in North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele and Tshopo provinces.

It was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the WHO three months ago.

The current outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus which does not have any approved vaccines or treatments.

Authorities then have to rely on identifying cases to check transmission. The ongoing rebel conflict, inadequate health surveillance and other facilities, deep distrust in authorities, burial practices which involve touching of the body (Ebloa spreads through contact with blood or bodily fluids of a person infected with or has died of disease), misinformation regarding ebola has severely impeded containment efforts.

A recent strike by health care workers at the epicentre of the outbreak over payment dues also added to the woes. Working in the front-lines, these workers have also been attacked by rebels and crowds which is a big cause of concern amid a deadly outbreak.

The WHO has warned that the outbreak is “outpacing the response”. “We are chasing the virus, the virus is ahead of us,” WHO Africa director Dr Mohamed Janabi said while the United Nations warned that the epidemic was now killing one person every 30 minutes.

Amid UN’s warning that the Bundibugyo outbreak is taking lives at a much faster rate, experts stress the need for quick detection and rapid contact tracing.

“..we’re still seeing many cases detected very late, when treatment is less likely to succeed, with ​many identified only after they die in the community,” said Thomas Parisch, a ⁠public health specialist recently deployed to DRC with Medecins Sans Frontieres

Though the outbreak was formally declared on May 15, WHO says genetic sequencing showed that the virus had actually begun circulating in February.