Congo Ebola outbreak becomes country's deadliest as deaths cross 2,300

Bunia,UPDATED: Aug 17, 2026 19:20 IST

Congo's Ebola outbreak has killed more than 2,300 people and become the deadliest recorded outbreak of the disease in the country. Government data released overnight into Monday showed 4,945 cases, including 2,325 deaths, in what officials say is the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak ever.

This is Congo's 17th and largest Ebola outbreak, overtaking the country's 2018-2020 outbreak, which recorded 2,299 deaths among 3,481 cases. The World Health Organization has warned that the outbreak is still moving at an "exceptional pace" and said it is on track to surpass the 2014-16 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the deadliest on record with more than 11,000 deaths.

The latest figures showed 101 new cases and 33 deaths in the previous 24 hours. More than 1,000 people have recovered, while 730 remain in hospitals or isolation. The outbreak has spread across six provinces in eastern Congo, with Ituri province at the centre.

There are no approved vaccines or treatments for the rare Bundibugyo virus behind the outbreak, though trials are under way in Ituri. Most new cases and deaths are being recorded among people who were not already being monitored, adding to concerns over the speed of transmission.

Health workers are also facing several challenges, including strikes by some unpaid staff, threats by rebel groups, anger in long-traumatised communities, areas that are difficult to reach because of bad roads, and misinformation claiming that Ebola is not real. Over the previous week, the WHO said, the outbreak reached a record 579 cases and 304 deaths.

"A substantial scaling up of response activities is underway to get ahead of the outbreak," the WHO said. On Friday, United Nations humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher announced an additional USD 30.5 million and the deployment of 20 more staff to support the response on the frontlines. "This is a wake-up call," Fletcher said. "We need speed, scale and solidarity before this virus gets even further ahead of us."

With cases and deaths continuing to rise, Congo's current Ebola outbreak has become the country's deadliest on record, while health authorities and aid agencies step up efforts to contain a crisis that is still spreading rapidly.

With PTI Inputs

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