The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning that the Ebola virus is spreading through the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) faster than in any previous outbreak. Since the current outbreak was declared on May 15, 2026, in the northeastern province of Ituri, more than 2,000 confirmed cases and 796 deaths have been recorded in just two months, making it the third-largest Ebola outbreak on record.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted the alarming speed of transmission, noting that the 2018-2020 outbreak took over 10 months to reach 2,000 confirmed cases. "In the past month, it has expanded faster than any previous outbreak," he said. Additionally, more than 80 percent of new cases are detected outside known contact lists, indicating that many transmission chains remain unidentified.

A significant concern is that about two-thirds of deaths are occurring in communities among people who never received care in a health facility. Efforts to contain the epidemic are further complicated by the lack of an approved vaccine for this virus strain and ongoing armed conflict in the region. Tedros emphasized the challenges posed by the "complex environment in which the outbreak is happening," amid active conflict in Ituri.

The rapid spread and difficult conditions underscore the urgent need for enhanced response measures to control the epidemic.

Sources