Ebola deaths in DRC surge past 1,300 as virus ‘spreading like a wildfire’
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has reached record-breaking levels, with over 1,300 deaths and 3,000 confirmed cases. Health experts warn that the rare Bundibugyo variant is spreading rapidly in conflict-affected areas, prompting urgent experimental vaccine trials.
Why it matters
The unprecedented speed of this outbreak and the lack of approved vaccines pose a significant threat to regional stability and global public health.
Outbreak is spreading at the fastest rate ever recorded as confirmed cases in DRC surpass 3,000.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info A health worker cleans outside her station during a tour by DRC Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka of the Mongbwalu General Hospital in Ituri province [File: Gradel Muyisa Mumbere/Reuters] By Faisal Ali and AP Published On 25 Jul 2026 25 Jul 2026 Nairobi, Kenya – The death toll from the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has surged above 1,354, an extraordinary rise of more than 40 percent in just five days, government figures show, as a leading public health consultant says the virus is “spreading like a wildfire”.
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