Nearly 1,000 people have died from Ebola in DR Congo

What the report says

Al Jazeera, citing AP and Reuters, reported that the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has passed a major fatality threshold, with Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Director-General Jean Kaseya saying 1,031 deaths had been confirmed since the Bundibugyo strain emerged in May. The report was published on July 22, 2026, and focused on the outbreak in northeastern DRC, including Ituri province, where authorities declared the epidemic on May 15 after several deaths.

According to the report, the DRC health ministry said 2,473 infections had been confirmed as of Monday, with at least 737 patients isolated or receiving hospital care. Al Jazeera also cited World Health Organization figures saying two people had died in neighbouring Uganda. Uganda had discharged its last Ebola patient on July 16, starting the WHO’s 42-day period used to determine whether an outbreak has ended.

Health officials described the situation as especially difficult because Bundibugyo is a rare Ebola variant affecting humans and, as reported by Al Jazeera, has no approved vaccines or treatments. The disease spreads through close contact and exposure to infected bodily fluids, making rapid isolation, contact tracing and safe care practices central to containment.

The outbreak matters because its reported death toll has risen faster than in previous Ebola emergencies, including the 2013-2016 West Africa epidemic, which ultimately killed more than 11,000 people. Al Jazeera reported that Kaseya has urged stronger international action and asked the United States to lift Ebola-related travel restrictions affecting Uganda, while US entry limits remained in place for people recently in DRC and some travellers linked to Uganda or South Sudan.