Ebola Bundibugyo strain outbreak worst ever in DR Congo, WHO says

Current Ebola outbreak worst ever in DR Congo, WHO says

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is the biggest in the country's history, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.

As of 30 July, there were 3,605 confirmed cases including 1,587 deaths - a fatality rate of 44%.

The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus. It was declared on 15 May 2026 and surpasses the previous biggest outbreak between 2018 and 2020, which had nearly 3,500 recorded cases of whom almost 2,300 died.

There is currently no approved vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo strain, but vaccines are being developed in the UK and Singapore.

Ebola, which spreads through contact with bodily fluids, has killed 15,000 people across Africa over the last 50 years.

The WHO said in a statement posted on X that the outbreak was "intensifying, with sustained transmission and continued increases in reported cases and deaths".

It added that during the past week, the outbreak reached its highest weekly total with 567 cases and 296 deaths.

It warned these figures underscored "the exceptional pace of transmission".

"Factors like insecurity, population displacement, and cross-border movement continue to hamper response efforts and increase the risk of further spread," it said.

The centre of the outbreak is the Ituri province in the northeast of the country, which borders South Sudan and Uganda.

But it has also spread to other parts of the country, including the North and South Kivu provinces, where large areas are controlled by the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group.

"The convergence of insecurity, population displacement and mobility, and cross-border movements complicate response operations and increase the risk of further geographical spread," the WHO said.

During the current outbreak, 20 cases have also been reported in Uganda along with one in France.

Two cases diagnosed in DR Congo were later treated in Germany.

On 30 July, the WHO announced that the the "most promising" vaccine would be developed in Singapore, while the trail of a separate jab has begun in the UK.