The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has surpassed 5,000, with the country recording 5,021 infections and 2,378 deaths, according to the latest government and World Health Organization (WHO) data.
The outbreak, declared on May 15, 2026, has now become the deadliest Ebola epidemic in the DRC’s history, overtaking the 2018–2020 outbreak, which recorded 2,299 deaths.
It is also the largest in the country by the number of confirmed cases.
The current epidemic is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola virus, a relatively rare strain for which there are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments.
However, clinical trials involving potential vaccines and treatments are underway as health authorities race to slow transmission.
Health officials say the response is being severely constrained by weak healthcare infrastructure, insecurity, population movement, community mistrust and resistance, as well as difficulties affecting frontline health workers.
In some affected areas, health workers have faced protests and strikes linked to unpaid salaries and difficult working conditions.
The outbreak has spread across six provinces, with Ituri remaining the hardest-hit area.
The movement of people, including workers in the region’s gold-mining sector, has further complicated contact tracing and efforts to identify infections early.
The WHO has warned that the epidemic remains far from under control, with transmission continuing to outpace response efforts.
Despite the worsening situation, health authorities say the outbreak can still be contained if sufficient resources are mobilised and surveillance, treatment and community engagement are strengthened.
The latest figures underscore the growing threat posed by the outbreak, which is already considered the second-deadliest Ebola epidemic ever recorded globally, behind the 2014–2016 West Africa outbreak that killed more than 11,000 people.