DR Congo: Ebola death figure rises to 1,887

The Democratic Republic of Congo has reported a sharp increase in deaths and confirmed infections from the country's fast-growing Ebola outbreak, with the death toll reaching 1,887 and confirmed cases 4,120, according to government figures cited Sunday.

The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus, was declared in northeastern Congo in May and has since spread across multiple provinces.

The latest figures make it the second-largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded, behind the 2014-16 West Africa epidemic, according to Reuters.

Cases are rising at an alarming pace

The latest government figures represent a significant increase from the 4,053 confirmed cases and 1,850 deaths reported as of Aug. 5-6. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention listed those figures in its latest situation summary.

The World Health Organisation's July 30 update had recorded 3,605 confirmed cases and 1,587 deaths, meaning the outbreak has continued to accelerate rapidly in just days.

WHO says cases have been reported across five provinces — Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé and Tshopo — involving dozens of health zones.

No cases of Ebola have been detected among passengers on a river boat that was placed in quarantine near Kinshasa, health authorities have said.

The confirmation announced on Saturday eased concerns that the rare Bundibugyo virus might spread to the Congolese capital.

More than 200 boat passengers were placed in quarantine on Thursday in the port of Maluku, 65 kilometers (40 miles) from Kinshasa, after one traveler who was previously aboard the boat died with symptoms matching the Ebola virus, AP reported.

The National Institute of Biomedical Research, which is responsible for testing, said that all suspected cases tested negative for Bundibugyo. It urged the population of Kinshasa to remain calm.

WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus called for an urgent strengthening of the response, warning of the accelerating spread of the virus.

On May 17, 2026, WHO officially declared the Ebola outbreak caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus strain a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Following this declaration, on June 5, 2026, the WHO, in partnership with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), launched a joint $518 million continental preparedness and response plan.

Why this outbreak is particularly difficult to contain

The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo virus, a relatively rare Ebola species for which there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment. Researchers and health authorities are testing potential vaccines and treatments, but they are not yet established tools for controlling this outbreak.

The outbreak is also occurring in a region affected by armed conflict, population displacement, weak health infrastructure and extensive population movement, all of which complicate surveillance, contact tracing and treatment. WHO has described the situation as a rapidly evolving public-health emergency.

The CDC said this outbreak passed 1,000 confirmed cases within about 40 days of response activation, compared with roughly 235 days during Congo's 2018 outbreak.

WHO warns the response is falling behind

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned that the outbreak is outpacing the response, while aid organizations have reported shortages of personnel and other resources. An AP report said health workers' labor disruptions over unpaid or delayed compensation have further complicated the response.

Médecins Sans Frontières has also warned that community transmission is proving difficult to contain and that response capacity remains inadequate relative to the scale of the outbreak.

Another concern is that the official figures may understate the true scale of transmission. Reuters reported that delayed detection, inadequate surveillance and difficulty tracing contacts mean some infections are likely going undetected.

What happens next?

Health authorities are racing to improve early detection, contact tracing, isolation and treatment, while researchers work to evaluate medical countermeasures against Bundibugyo Ebola.

The outbreak's rapid expansion is particularly concerning because Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of infected people or contaminated materials, meaning uncontrolled community transmission can quickly overwhelm health systems.

For now, the key concern is not simply the rising death toll but the speed at which new infections are being detected.

The latest figures reinforce the warning from international health agencies that Congo is facing an Ebola outbreak that is expanding faster than responders can contain it.