The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has become the deadliest in the country’s history, with government data confirming 2,325 deaths. This figure surpasses the 2,299 fatalities recorded during the 2018–2020 epidemic. According to the country’s public health institute, the total number of confirmed cases has reached 4,945, with 101 new cases detected in a single 24-hour period.
Deadliest Outbreak in Congo History
The current crisis, which is the 17th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has gained momentum since its formal declaration on May 15. It is now the fastest-growing outbreak in the known history of the virus. While it remains smaller than the 2014–2016 West African epidemic—which resulted in 28,616 cases and 11,310 deaths across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone—the current surge in the DRC is moving at a significantly higher velocity. While the West African outbreak took nearly five months to reach 1,000 deaths, the current DRC outbreak reached 2,000 deaths in less than three months.
Challenges in Surveillance and Care
The epidemic is currently killing one person every 30 minutes, according to United Nations humanitarian affairs chief Tom Fletcher, who warned on Friday that Ebola is winning in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
. The strain responsible for the surge is the Bundibugyo species, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments. While a small number of experimental therapies are under evaluation, experts emphasize that the rising case fatality ratio—which has climbed from approximately 20% in early June to 46%—is linked to systemic failures rather than increased viral virulence.
Normally, as an outbreak progresses, the case fatality ratio should fall as contact tracing improves and patients are identified and treated earlier,
said Thomas Parisch, a public health specialist with Médecins Sans Frontières. Instead, we’re still seeing many cases detected very late, when treatment is less likely to succeed, with many identified only after they die in the community.
Surveillance efforts are struggling, with 60% to 70% of new cases detected among individuals who were not previously monitored as contacts. Gédéon Banga Ngbape, a surveillance officer in Ituri province, noted that the surveillance system is failing to keep pace with the virus. The situation is further complicated by strikes among unpaid health workers, threats from rebel groups, and community misinformation. In Nizi, one of the most affected health zones, the treatment center temporarily closed on Thursday due to staff strikes over three months of unpaid wages.
Geographic Impact and Humanitarian Response
The outbreak has now affected six of the country’s 26 provinces, with the north-eastern border regions bearing the brunt of the crisis. Ituri province remains the epicenter, recording more than 3,400 cases. The United Nations has announced an additional $30.5 million in emergency funding to bolster the response, which includes expanding food aid and increasing the number of safe and dignified burial teams.
The humanitarian situation is compounded by ongoing conflict in North Kivu and South Kivu, where the Congolese military is engaged in fighting with the Rwanda-backed M23 militia. UN officials have called for increased international solidarity, noting that the scale of the response must be urgently tripled to stop the virus from spreading further. This is a wake-up call,
Fletcher said. We need speed, scale and solidarity before this virus gets even further ahead of us.
