DRC Faces Its Deadliest Ebola Outbreak
August 17, 2026
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has become the deadliest in the country’s history.
With a reported 2 325 deaths amongst 4 945 confirmed cases, it has surpassed the 2018-2020 outbreak’s death toll of 2 299.
According to health officials, the current outbreak – caused by the rare Bundibugyo species – is progressing rapidly compared to previous crises.
For example, the 2014-2016 West African outbreak took five months to reach 1 000 deaths; in comparison, the current crisis reached 2 000 deaths in just three months.
Tom Fletcher, the United Nations’ (UN’s) humanitarian chief, warned that the epidemic is killing someone every 30 minutes. As a result, the mortality rate has risen to 46%, with many cases detected too late for effective treatment.
The Bundibugyo species causing this outbreak has no approved vaccine, though several are in development. England’s University of Oxford is creating a vaccine using the same technology as the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine.
Image Credit: Source