Ebola Cases In Congo Exceed 5,000, Government Data Shows

World 01:05 PM - 2026-08-19

Volunteers Place Coffin Of 3-Year-Old Ebola Suspected Victim During Funeral In Bunia.

The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo has surpassed 5,000, with health officials warning that efforts to contain the disease are struggling to keep pace with its rapid spread.

According to the latest data from Congo’s public health institute, the country has recorded 5,021 confirmed cases and 2,378 deaths in the current outbreak. The figures make it the largest Ebola outbreak in the country’s history in terms of both cases and deaths.

The outbreak, Congo’s 17th, surpassed the previous record set during the 2018-2020 epidemic, which recorded 3,481 cases and 2,299 deaths. It is now the second-largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded globally, behind the 2014-2016 epidemic in West Africa.

The current epidemic is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola virus, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments.

Health authorities have described the outbreak as unusually fast-moving. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Congo recorded more than 1,000 confirmed cases within 40 days of the response being activated, compared with about 235 days during the 2018 outbreak to reach the same threshold.

The outbreak began in Ituri province and has since spread to six provinces, with insecurity, population displacement and extensive movement of people making containment more difficult. Attacks on healthcare workers and limited access to remote areas have also hampered the response.

The World Health Organisation has warned that the epidemic remains far from under control, while the rapid rise in cases and deaths has increased concerns over further national and international spread.

Sources: Reuters


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