Ebola deaths in DRC surge past 1,300 as virus ‘spreading like a wildfire’ - Al Jazeera

What the report says

Al Jazeera reported that the Democratic Republic of Congo’s latest Ebola outbreak has killed more than 1,354 people, citing government figures released on Saturday, July 25, 2026. The data put confirmed cases, including deaths, at 3,075, marking a sharp rise over the previous week. The outbreak, centred in the northeastern province of Ituri, was described in the report as the fastest-spreading Ebola epidemic yet documented.

The virus involved is the Bundibugyo strain, a rare Ebola variant for which Al Jazeera reported there are no approved vaccines or treatments. Abdulsalami Nasidi, a public health consultant associated with the establishment of Africa CDC, told the outlet that the lack of a proven vaccine had allowed the disease to spread rapidly. The University of Oxford’s Oxford Vaccine Group has begun testing an experimental Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine, with a first volunteer dosed on Friday.

The report said insecurity in eastern DRC, shortages of protective equipment, and strained health services are complicating the response. More than 100 health workers have reportedly been infected since the outbreak was declared in May, with about 35 deaths. Some staff at Ebola facilities in Ituri, including in Bunia, have gone on strike over unpaid wages and unsafe conditions.

Al Jazeera also cited warnings from Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus that the outbreak could worsen without urgent access to affected communities. WHO has cautioned that real case numbers may be far higher than official totals, while travel restrictions by the United States and Canada have diverged from WHO guidance.