DR Congo Ebola epidemic becomes world’s second largest outbreak
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is facing its second-largest Ebola outbreak on record, which officials describe as the fastest-spreading in history. With a high fatality rate and no approved vaccine for the specific strain, international attention is being urged.
Why it matters
Rapidly spreading viral outbreaks in densely populated or unstable regions pose significant global public health risks.
Officials declare the outbreak the fastest spreading ever, warning the world to ‘pay much more attention’.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info Congolese medical workers dressed in personal protective equipment carry children tested and cleared of Ebola virus infections at a secured Ebola response zone in Bunia town, Ituri province [File: Gradel Muyisa Mumbere/Reuters] By Anadolu and Reuters Published On 31 Jul 2026 31 Jul 2026 More than 3,500 people have been infected with the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), making it the world’s second largest outbreak on record.
Confirmed cases have reached 3,532, the DRC Ministry of Communication and Media said in a statement on Friday. The data show that the current outbreak has surpassed the country’s 10th on record, which ran from August 2018 to June 2020 and saw roughly 3,470 cases recorded.
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