Ebola in Congo becomes country's deadliest outbreak, kills 2,325

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed 2,325 people, making it the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the country's history, according to latest government data. Congo's public health institute released the figures on Sunday, August 16, 2026, confirming 4,945 infections, including 101 new cases in 24 hours.

Death toll surpasses previous record

The death toll has now overtaken the 2,299 deaths recorded during Congo's 2018-2020 Ebola outbreak, which was previously the country's deadliest. The current outbreak, Congo's 17th, had already become the country's largest by number of cases after infections crossed the previous record in late July.

It is now the second-deadliest Ebola outbreak ever recorded globally, behind the 2014-2016 West African epidemic, which recorded 28,616 cases and 11,310 deaths across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Rising fatality rate

Congo's public health institute said confirmed cases have reached 4,945, with 101 additional infections in the latest 24-hour report. The case fatality ratio has risen from about 20% in early June to 46%, meaning nearly one in every two confirmed patients is now dying.

“Since the beginning of the epidemic through August 15, 2026, the Democratic Republic of Congo has recorded 4,945 confirmed cases, including 2,325 deaths, representing a fatality rate of 47.0%,” the statement reads in part.

Health experts say the increase does not necessarily mean the Bundibugyo virus has become more lethal. It reflects persistent problems with surveillance, late diagnosis and access to treatment.

“Normally, as an outbreak progresses, the case fatality ratio should fall as contact tracing improves and patients are identified and treated earlier,” Reuters quoted Thomas Parisch, a public health specialist recently deployed to the DRC 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.”

The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments. Experimental vaccines and therapies are being evaluated, but available evidence remains limited.

Response and funding

The outbreak was formally declared by Congo on May 15, 2026, after laboratory testing confirmed the Bundibugyo virus in Ituri Province. Two days later, on May 17, the World Health Organization classified the outbreak in Congo and Uganda as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

The WHO said the international emergency designation reflected the risk posed by cross-border transmission, population movement, insecurity and weak healthcare infrastructure in affected areas. The absence of approved Bundibugyo-specific vaccines or therapeutics further complicated containment efforts.

On July 31, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations committed up to $8.5 million to Hilleman Laboratories to accelerate the development and manufacture of an experimental Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine for clinical trials.

Uganda recorded 20 confirmed cases and two deaths before declaring its outbreak over last month. In early June, WHO and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention launched a $518 million six-month preparedness and response plan. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs allocated up to $60 million to support the response.

The outbreak has continued to pressure fragile health systems, especially in eastern Congo, where insecurity, displacement, community mistrust and access difficulties have complicated contact tracing and treatment.

The economic consequences could extend beyond the health crisis. The United Nations Development Programme has warned that, if the outbreak spreads beyond its current hotspots, it could cost Africa as much as $3.6 billion in economic output and result in more than 328,000 job losses.