The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has reached 6,186 confirmed cases and 3,007 deaths as of 2 September 2026, according to government figures reported by Reuters, making it the country’s deadliest epidemic on record and one of the largest Ebola outbreaks ever recorded globally.
The outbreak was first declared in Ituri province on 15 May 2026 and is caused by the Bundibugyo species of the Ebola virus, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By 21 July, WHO reported the outbreak had spread to five provinces, with Ituri remaining the epicentre.
Dr Thierno Baldé, WHO Incident Manager, told a WHO briefing on 21 July that Ituri accounted for more than 90 per cent of cases and 80 per cent of deaths at that stage. The rapid escalation saw confirmed cases climb from roughly 2,000 on 11 July to 3,605 by 30 July, before nearly doubling to 6,186 by early September.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on 2 September that tracking transmission chains remained a major obstacle. “The Ebola response needs to be scaled up to tackle the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with tracking the chains of transmission still posing a challenge,” he said, speaking at a WHO media briefing.
The Bundibugyo strain, one of six known Ebola virus species, has no licensed vaccine or proven treatment, unlike the Zaire ebolavirus strain which saw the rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine deployed during the 2018–2020 DRC outbreak. That earlier outbreak killed 2,299 people, meaning the current epidemic has already surpassed it in fatalities. The 2014–2016 West Africa outbreak, caused by the Zaire strain, killed more than 11,000 across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
Africa CDC warned on 15 May 2026 that the outbreak posed a growing risk of regional spread. The DRC shares borders with nine countries, including Uganda, Rwanda, and South Sudan, raising concerns about cross-border transmission in a region with limited health infrastructure.
The factors hampering containment include insecurity, displacement, and interrupted access to affected zones, according to WHO reporting. Ituri province has been the site of armed conflict involving multiple militia groups for years, complicating contact tracing and the delivery of medical supplies.
By 26 June 2026, the US CDC had classified the outbreak as the second-largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded in the DRC and the third-largest globally. That ranking has since shifted as case counts continued to climb sharply through July and August.
It remains unclear whether the outbreak will overtake the 2014–2016 West Africa epidemic in total cases, and no licensed vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain is expected imminently. Cape Flats News will check for updated WHO and Africa CDC figures by 9 September 2026.