DR Congo Ebola outbreak becomes second‑largest on record FAST-MOVING

Ebola Democratic Republic of Congo Bundibugyo strain Ituri province WHO

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo was declared on 15 May 2026 and is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain. By 30 July 2026 the World Health Organization reported 3,605 laboratory‑confirmed cases and 1,587 deaths, a case‑fatality rate of about 44 %. The epidemic is the second‑largest ever recorded after the 2014‑2016 West‑African outbreak and is spreading faster than any previous flare‑up in the country. The centre of transmission is Ituri province, which accounts for roughly 88‑90 % of confirmed infections, and the virus has reached five provinces – Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut‑Uélé and Tshopo. WHO has classified the situation as a public‑health emergency of international concern. Response efforts are hampered by insecurity, population displacement, limited access for health workers and the absence of an approved vaccine or specific treatment. Cross‑border movement, especially with neighbouring Uganda, South Sudan and Rwanda, raises regional risk; Uganda declared its own outbreak over on 28 July after 42 days without new cases.

Entities: Bundibugyo Ebola virus · Bundibugyo strain · Bundibugyo strain · CEPI · Carl Skau · Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations · Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) · Democratic Republic of Congo · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus · Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus · Ebola virus

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 16 SOURCES] More than 1,500 people have died from the outbreak. (multiple)
[● 4 SOURCES] The World Food Programme appealed for US$293.6 million to address an acute food‑security crisis affecting 2.65 million people in DRC. (multiple)
[● 25 SOURCES] The DRC outbreak is the second‑largest Ebola epidemic on record, after the 2014‑16 West Africa outbreak. (WHO/CDC analysis, July 2026)
[● 10 SOURCES] CEPI partnered with Hilleman Laboratories, providing up to US$8.5 million to develop a vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain. (CEPI press release, July 2026)
[● 18 SOURCES] WHO Director‑General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the outbreak is outpacing the response. (multiple)
[● 29 SOURCES] The outbreak has 3,532 confirmed cases. (DR Congo Ministry of Communication and Media, July 2026)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Armed conflict in eastern DRC hampers response and most deaths occur outside health facilities. (WHO briefing)
[● 32 SOURCES] The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus. (All articles describing the virus strain)
[● 40 SOURCES] The case‑fatality rate of the outbreak is about 44 percent. (multiple)
[● 36 SOURCES] 1,556 people have died from the Ebola outbreak in the DRC. (existing)
[● 45 SOURCES] There is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo strain. (multiple)
[● 17 SOURCES] Carl Skau, acting head of the UN World Food Programme, called the outbreak the fastest‑spreading Ebola epidemic ever seen. (UN WFP statement to Reuters.)