DR Congo Ebola outbreak tops 2,000 cases as WHO warns true toll may be up to four times higher

Confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo have risen to 2,011, with 754 deaths reported. The World Health Organization says the actual number of infections could be two to four times higher than official figures, describing the epidemic as the fastest‑growing on record and the third‑largest ever recorded.

The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain, has spread beyond its original epicentre in Ituri to the provinces of Haut‑Uélé and Tshopo, raising the risk of further national and cross‑border transmission. WHO emergencies chief Chikwe Ihekweazu warned that about 80% of new cases are coming from "unknown chains of transmission" and that contact‑tracing rates remain well below target levels.

Health‑care workers in Ituri have begun striking over unpaid wages and delayed salaries, disrupting services at facilities such as Bunia General Hospital and Rwampara Ebola treatment centre. The strike highlights the broader challenges facing the response, including a severe funding gap: WHO has received only around 40% of the $115 million it estimates necessary to contain the outbreak.

Clinical trials are under way, including a prophylactic trial of the antiviral obeldesivir and a therapeutic trial of monoclonal antibodies. The WHO also confirmed the evacuation of a second American patient infected with Ebola to Germany for advanced care. WHO Director‑General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that successful trial results could represent a major step forward in preventing future infections.