DR Congo’s worst Ebola epidemic ever passes 7,000 cases

What the report says

The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s latest Ebola outbreak has crossed 7,000 recorded cases, making it the country’s worst epidemic of the disease, according to figures cited by Al Jazeera from Congolese authorities. The report says the outbreak was first officially detected in mid-May, though experts believe it may have been spreading earlier. Authorities have registered 7,022 cases and 3,398 deaths, while 837 people are currently isolated or receiving treatment.

Al Jazeera reported that the outbreak involves the rare Bundibugyo strain, the DRC’s 17th Ebola epidemic. It began in northeastern Ituri province and has since spread into remote, conflict-affected areas of the east and north, where state services are limited and health care infrastructure is weak. The article also noted that a case was recently confirmed in South-Ubangi, a seventh province, showing the outbreak’s wider geographic reach.

Most cases remain in Ituri, where infections have also been detected in schools as students returned after the holiday period, raising concern among parents and health workers. School officials cited hygiene measures such as hand washing and classroom limits, while families expressed fear about possible exposure.

Ebola is spread through contact with bodily fluids and can cause severe bleeding and organ failure. As general background, the Bundibugyo strain currently reported in the DRC does not yet have an approved vaccine or treatment, although candidate options are under study. The scale of the outbreak underscores the challenge of controlling the disease in a region marked by insecurity and fragile public health systems.