DR Congo Ebola outbreak becomes country’s deadliest as toll reaches 2,325

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s current Ebola outbreak has become the deadliest recorded in the country, with at least 2,325 deaths, according to government data reported on Sunday, August 16, 2026.

The country’s public health institute said confirmed infections had climbed to 4,945. That total included 101 cases detected during the preceding 24 hours. More than 3,400 cases have been recorded in Ituri province, where the outbreak was first identified, while six of the country’s 26 provinces have reported infections.

The United Nations warned on Friday, August 14, that the epidemic was killing about one person every 30 minutes. Health workers have also reported that many patients are being identified late, reducing the chances that care will succeed and complicating efforts to trace contacts.

The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. No approved vaccine or treatment is available for that strain. Uganda has separately reported at least 20 cases, all in Kampala, and the World Health Organization declared the outbreaks in Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern in May.

Ebola spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated materials. The new death toll exceeds that of Congo’s 2018–2020 epidemic, though it remains below the 11,310 deaths recorded during the 2014–2016 West Africa outbreak.