KEY POINTS
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DR Congo has recorded 11,042 confirmed Ebola cases and 5,387 deaths.
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The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo species, which has no approved vaccine or treatment.
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Eight provinces are affected, with the disease reported across East, Central and West Africa.
The number of confirmed Ebola infections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) has risen above 11,000, with more than 5,300 deaths recorded since the outbreak was declared in May 2026.
Government data released on Tuesday showed that confirmed infections had reached 11,042, while the death toll stood at 5,387.
The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo species of the Ebola virus, a rare strain for which there are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments.
Outbreak becomes one of the deadliest on record
The current outbreak is the second-largest and deadliest Ebola outbreak recorded globally, surpassed only by the 2014-2016 epidemic in West Africa.
That outbreak infected more than 28,600 people and killed over 11,000 across affected countries.
The scale of the current crisis in DR Congo has raised concerns among health authorities, particularly because the virus has spread beyond the country’s borders and affected several regions of the continent.
Eight provinces affected
The outbreak has spread across eight of DR Congo’s 26 provinces, with many deaths occurring outside designated treatment centres.
Health authorities face difficulties containing the virus because some infections are detected late, allowing transmission to continue before patients receive medical attention.
Conflict and pressure on the country’s healthcare system have further complicated efforts to control the outbreak.
The combination of delayed detection, limited healthcare capacity and insecurity has contributed to a faster spread of the disease than in previous Ebola outbreaks.
Ebola spreads across three African regions
The disease has now been reported in East, Central and West Africa, giving the current outbreak the widest geographical spread of any Ebola outbreak recorded on the continent.
The spread across multiple regions has increased concerns about the capacity of health systems to detect infections early, isolate patients and prevent further transmission.
The absence of approved vaccines and treatments for the Bundibugyo species presents an additional challenge for medical teams responding to the crisis.
