More than 5,000 Deaths Mark Congo’s Deadliest Ebola Outbreak
Government data confirms over 5,000 fatalities as the Bundibugyo strain spreads across eight provinces.
The Democratic Republic of Congo reports more than 5,000 deaths from the ongoing Ebola outbreak, according to official government figures.
Eight of the country’s 26 provinces are now affected, and the health ministry confirms over 10,300 confirmed cases.
The epidemic began in May and, by August, had become the nation’s deadliest, with a current case fatality rate of 48.6%.
The epicentre remains in Ituri province, a conflict‑ridden area in the north‑east, which complicates containment efforts.
Cases have also been identified beyond the DRC’s borders, in Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda.
United Nations data label this the 17th outbreak in the country’s history and the second largest ever recorded.
The World Health Organization’s Africa office stresses the need for a “continued scale‑up of key control measures, greater access to affected areas, and community outreach” to halt the spread.
Testing, treatment and clinical trials of vaccines are underway, but the Bundibugyo species responsible for the current crisis lacks an approved vaccine or specific therapy.
For comparison, the DRC’s previous deadliest outbreak (2018‑2020) resulted in 2,299 deaths, while the global worst outbreak in West Africa (2014‑2016) claimed more than 11,325 lives across several continents.
The UN warns the present outbreak is “taking lives at a much faster rate,” underscoring the urgency of intensified response.
Ebola remains a rare but lethal disease, characterized by sudden onset, vomiting, diarrhoea, organ failure and, in some patients, internal and external bleeding.
Efforts continue to curb the epidemic as health authorities grapple with the dual challenges of conflict and a virus for which no proven cure exists.
