A new study published in the medical journal Nature Medicine has revealed that the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) stems from a new transmission from animals to humans, rather than from variants linked to previous outbreaks. This outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain, has resulted in more than 2,000 deaths out of 4,449 recorded cases, making it the fastest-moving Ebola outbreak on record.

Although the outbreak was formally declared on May 15, genetic sequencing showed the virus had been circulating since February. The World Health Organization (WHO) stated on Wednesday, August 13, 2026, that the virus is spreading faster than health authorities can contain and is on track to become the deadliest Ebola outbreak recorded.

"What the genomic data suggest is that the current outbreak began with a new ‘zoonotic spillover’ event – meaning the virus likely crossed independently from an animal reservoir into a person – rather than resulting from continued circulation or re-emergence of virus from a previous human outbreak," a WHO representative explained.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that at its current pace, this outbreak could eclipse the West African Ebola outbreak of 2014 to 2016. Meanwhile, Abbas noted that while no licensed treatments or vaccines currently exist, experimental therapeutics and vaccines targeting the Bundibugyo strain are in clinical development for use in the DRC and Uganda during 2026.

The outbreak has also been complicated by healthcare workers striking over unpaid wages, further accelerating the crisis.

Sources