DR Congo Ebola outbreak hits 11,042 cases, death toll rises to 5,387

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, DR Congo, has surpassed 11,000 confirmed cases, with at least 5,387 deaths recorded as armed conflicts continue to hamper efforts to contain the disease.

Official figures released by the country’s National Institute of Public Health on Wednesday showed that 11,042 people had been infected, while approximately 2,990 patients had recovered.

The outbreak, which was officially declared in May 2026, is the 17th recorded in the country’s history. However, health experts believe the latest outbreak may have started weeks or months before its official declaration.

The disease initially emerged in the northeastern Ituri province but has since spread to seven other provinces, with Ituri and North Kivu recording the highest number of infections.

Cases have also been reported in Uganda, Kenya and Nigeria.

The latest outbreak is the country’s deadliest, surpassing the 2018–2020 outbreak, which claimed nearly 2,300 lives out of about 3,500 recorded cases.

Efforts to contain the disease have been complicated by insecurity in eastern DR Congo, particularly in Ituri, where clashes between armed groups and attacks on health workers have disrupted medical operations.

Authorities disclosed that an Ebola treatment centre in Lolwa, Ituri province, was set on fire by youths on Sunday.

Clashes between local militias also temporarily forced the suspension of health response activities in the Fataki area on the same day, according to the United Nations.

Meanwhile, attacks by Islamic State-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces rebels have been reported in parts of Ituri, Haut-Uele and North Kivu.

There are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola.

The World Health Organization had, however, announced plans to conduct human trials in DR Congo to determine whether Ervebo, a vaccine approved for the more common Zaire strain, could offer some protection against the Bundibugyo strain.