Ebola outbreak in DR Congo may become deadliest ever, WHO warns

Sun Sep 06 2026 00:37:14 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

WHO chief announces 2026 Ebola outbreak could eclipse the 2014‑16 surge, with 4,300 cases and over 2,000 deaths so far.

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s 2026 Ebola outbreak, driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain, threatens to overtake the 2014‑16 epidemic in fatalities, WHO Director‑General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. The outbreak began in February, declared in May, and now reports 4,300 cases and more than 2,000 deaths. Health workers reach only 30 % of cases amid regional instability, and no approved vaccine exists for this strain, though trials are underway. WHO hopes to curb transmission within three months, but stopping the outbreak entirely remains a challenge.

Ebola outbreak on track to be deadliest ever, WHO chief says

The 2026 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is already on track to eclipse the 2014‑16 epidemic, which caused more than 11,000 deaths, according to WHO Director‑General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Since its declaration on 15 May, the outbreak has seen roughly 4,300 confirmed cases and over 2,000 deaths. Health officials estimate the virus began spreading at least three months before the official start of the outbreak.

WHO is hoping to reverse the spread within three months, though this goal focuses on controlling transmission rather than ending the epidemic entirely. However, regional instability in eastern DR Congo means health workers can reach only about 30 % of cases, according to WHO Africa director Dr Mohamed Janabi.

The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo species, which has caused only two known outbreaks in 2007 and 2012. No approved vaccine or therapy exists for this strain, but the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has cleared the first human trials for a Bundibugyo vaccine developed at the University of Oxford, using technology similar to that of the Oxford‑AstraZeneca COVID vaccine.

WHO is also sponsoring a clinical trial in DR Congo to test whether two existing antiviral therapies can improve survival rates. These efforts highlight the urgent need for new tools and rapid response strategies to manage Ebola and other emerging infectious diseases in our changing world.