The ongoing Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo has surpassed 3,600 confirmed cases, making it the biggest outbreak in the country’s history according to the the-star.co.ke. Government data released for the epidemic, which was declared on May 15, 2026, shows a total of 3,605 confirmed cases and 1,587 deaths, resulting in a fatality rate of 44%. The current public health emergency surpasses the nation’s previous largest epidemic recorded between 2018 and 2020, which had nearly 3,500 recorded cases and nearly 2,300 deaths.
Outbreak Reaches Record Scale With Over 3,600 Confirmed Cases
The World Health Organization stated that the epidemic is intensifying rapidly, with sustained transmission leading to continuous increases in reported infections and fatalities. During a single recent week, the outbreak reached its highest weekly total yet with 567 cases and 296 deaths, highlighting what international health officials describe as an exceptional pace of transmission.
Strain Characteristics and Treatment Challenges
The epidemic is driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus, which is believed to circulate naturally in animals, particularly fruit bats, and spreads through contact with bodily fluids. Unlike other Ebola variants, patients infected with the Bundibugyo strain face significantly fewer options because there are no approved vaccines or licensed treatments for this specific strain.
While therapies exist for other Ebola species, the lack of approved medical countermeasures for the Bundibugyo variant leaves doctors with limited options. As the infection progresses, patients frequently suffer from vomiting and diarrhea, while severe infections can lead directly to organ failure. Although the disease is widely known for causing hemorrhagic fever, not every patient experiences internal or external bleeding.
Response Obstacles and Regional Insecurity
Efforts to contain the spread continue to face severe operational hurdles on the ground. The center of the outbreak is located in the northeastern Ituri province, which borders Uganda and South Sudan. Regional instability heavily complicates containment work, as ongoing violence from armed factions—including the Islamic State group-backed Allied Democratic Force in Ituri and the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group controlling large areas in North and South Kivu provinces—has cut off access to many villages.
Population displacement and high mobility further exacerbate the crisis. More than 900,000 people reside in displacement camps within Ituri alone, and local economic mainstays like artisanal gold mining attract highly mobile informal workers who risk spreading the virus quickly. Furthermore, healthcare operations have faced additional disruptions from strikes by healthcare workers demanding unpaid wages.
Global Vaccine Trials and International Spread
While the epidemic remains heavily concentrated in the Democratic Republic of Congo, cases have also been identified beyond its borders. The World Health Organization reported that 20 cases have been documented in Uganda and one in France, while two cases diagnosed in the DR Congo were subsequently treated in Germany.
To address the lack of countermeasures, international scientific institutions are advancing novel vaccine candidates. In July 2026, the U.K.’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency authorized the first human trial for a vaccine designed specifically against the Bundibugyo strain. Oxford University administered this experimental shot—built on the same technology used for the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine—to its first group of volunteers after obtaining the genetic sequence in just eight weeks. Additionally, the the-star.co.ke announced that another promising vaccine candidate is under development in Singapore.
