DRC Ebola Death Toll Surges Past 1,300 Amid Unprecedented Outbreak

DRC Ebola Death Toll Surges Past 1,300 Amid Unprecedented Outbreak

The epidemic began on May 15, and health officials have described it as the fastest-growing and fastest-spreading Ebola outbreak on record. According to the [World Health Organization](https://apnews.com/article/ebola-congo-strike-4e61d1c9ae80c892efa38db95a23dd9e), it took just two months for the current epidemic to reach 2,000 confirmed cases, compared to 10 months during Congo’s 2018–2019 outbreak.

Rarest Strain Complicates Medical Response

Compounding the severity of the crisis, the virus driving the current epidemic is the Bundibugyo virus, which is the rarest of the four Ebola variants known to affect humans. Unlike the more common Zaire virus—which was responsible for most of Congo’s past 16 outbreaks and has approved vaccines and treatments—the Bundibugyo strain currently lacks any approved vaccines or treatments.

DRC and Uganda Ebola Outbreak Surpasses 1,000 Deaths and 2,500 Cases

Abdulsalami Nasidi, a public health consultant who helped establish the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), told [Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/25/ebola-deaths-in-drc-surge-past-1300-as-virus-spreading-like-wildfire) that the lack of a proven vaccine has allowed the virus to spread like a wildfire. Scientists are currently racing to find solutions, and the University of Oxford’s Oxford Vaccine Group reported that a volunteer received the first dose of an experimental Bundibugyo vaccine. Additionally, enrollment has started in Ituri for a study evaluating two possible Ebola treatments.

Healthcare Workers Strike Over Unpaid Bonuses

The emergency response has faced severe operational disruptions on the ground. Health workers at the Elikya Ebola Treatment Center in Bunia, Ituri province, went on strike on Saturday to demand their backpay, bringing operations to a standstill. Approximately 100 workers protested outside the facility, stating that two months of unpaid performance bonuses were undermining staff morale and disrupting patient care.

DRC Health Workers Strike as Ebola Outbreak Hits Ituri Province

We need to be paid, because in the meantime the disease is spreading at the treatment center, Martin Bolombi, one of the striking workers, told [AP News](https://apnews.com/article/ebola-congo-strike-4e61d1c9ae80c892efa38db95a23dd9e). He added that five patients had died inside while workers awaited a resolution. Dr. Adelard Lufungula, operations manager for the Ebola response, stated that the payment issue is being resolved and that the backlog should be cleared through mobile money payments.

Conflict and Regional Spread Hinder Containment Efforts

The outbreak’s epicenter is in eastern Congo’s Ituri province, which accounts for nearly 90% of confirmed cases. The region has been plagued by armed conflict for more than 30 years, forcing over 900,000 people into displacement camps. The response is further complicated by artisanal gold mining, which relies on highly mobile informal workers who can accelerate transmission if infected.

Democratic Republic of the Congo Ebola Outbreak Causes 930 Deaths

The virus has also spread beyond Ituri into Tshopo and Haut-Uele provinces. In Tshopo’s capital, Kisangani—a trading center of over 1 million people with direct links to Kinshasa—four deaths have been recorded. Aid organizations, including CARE International and Doctors Without Borders, warn that fragile hospitals are overwhelmed, contact tracing remains deficient, and treatment centers are operating at full capacity as responders struggle to outpace the spread.