Congo Is the Biggest in the Country's History, With 3,605 Confirmed Cases and 1,587 Deaths As of 30 July — a Fatality Rate

Ebola outbreak in DR Congo worst on record, WHO says. The World Health Organization (WHO) has said the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is the biggest in the country's history, with 3,605 confirmed cases and 1,587 deaths as of 30 July — a fatality rate of 44%. Declared on 15 May 2026, the outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, surpassing the previous record between 2018 and 2020, which had nearly 3,500 recorded cases and almost 2,300 deaths.

There is currently no approved vaccine or treatment for this strain, but vaccines are being developed in the UK and Singapore. The WHO said in a statement on X that the outbreak was “intensifying, with sustained transmission and continued increases in reported cases and deaths. It added that the past week brought the highest weekly total, with 567 cases and 296 deaths, underscoring “the exceptional pace of transmission.

The agency warned that “factors like insecurity, population displacement, and cross-border movement continue to hamper response efforts and increase the risk of further spread. The centre of the outbreak is Ituri province in the northeast, which borders South Sudan and Uganda, but the virus has also spread to North and South Kivu provinces, where large areas are controlled by the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group. Ebola, which spreads through contact with bodily fluids, has killed 15,000 people across Africa over the last 50 years.”””