Congo Ebola death toll passes 1,500 as outbreak response struggles

The death toll from an Ebola outbreak in Congo has passed 1,500 as health responders struggle to contain its spread, Al Jazeera reported on July 30, 2026.

The report identified the virus as the Bundibugyo strain and said no vaccine was available for that strain. The stored source record did not include a detailed case count, a geographic breakdown or the time period covered by the reported toll.

Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person, and outbreak control typically depends on rapid identification, isolation, contact tracing, protective equipment and safe burials. Those measures can be especially difficult to sustain where health services and access are limited.

Because outbreak figures are revised as suspected cases are tested and records are reconciled, the toll should be read as the latest reported figure rather than a final count. Further confirmation from Congolese health authorities or international public-health agencies will be important for assessing the outbreak’s trajectory.