The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is facing its fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record, with more than 2,000 deaths reported since the outbreak was declared less than three months ago.
According to official government data, 4,381 Ebola cases and 2,011 deaths have been confirmed across five provinces as of August 11, 2026. At least 1,000 deaths have occurred in the past three weeks as the virus continues to spread rapidly.
The outbreak is the second-largest Ebola outbreak recorded, behind the 2014–2016 West Africa outbreak, which resulted in more than 11,000 deaths.
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The response has been complicated by strikes by unpaid healthcare workers, misinformation and burial practices that could increase the risk of transmission.
The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment. The World Health Organization (WHO) said vaccine trials are underway, although results are expected to take several months.
The WHO also reported that the virus may have first emerged in the DRC in February 2026, around three months before the outbreak was officially declared in the DRC and neighbouring Uganda on May 15.
