The World Health Organization (WHO) says the Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has become the country’s largest on record, with 3,605 confirmed cases and 1,587 deaths.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that the Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has become the largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded in the country.
In a statement issued on Saturday, WHO said the outbreak has continued to intensify, spreading across five provinces and affecting 49 health zones, with sustained transmission, rising infections and increasing fatalities.
According to the global health agency, as of July 30, 2026, the DRC had recorded 3,605 laboratory-confirmed Ebola cases, including 1,587 deaths, representing a case fatality rate of 44 per cent.
WHO said the outbreak, which was initially confined to the Mongbwalu Health Zone in Ituri Province, has expanded to North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé and Tshopo provinces, raising concerns over further transmission.
The organisation noted that epidemiological week 30 recorded the highest weekly figures since the outbreak began, with 567 new confirmed cases and 296 deaths, underscoring the worsening public health situation.
WHO warned that persistent insecurity, population displacement, increased population movement and cross-border travel are complicating response efforts and heightening the risk of further spread within and beyond the affected areas.
The agency said the Congolese government, working alongside WHO and other international partners, has intensified outbreak response measures but stressed that additional resources and interventions are urgently required to contain the disease.
According to WHO, a regional preparedness framework is currently guiding coordinated response activities across Africa, while neighbouring countries have strengthened surveillance systems and emergency preparedness to prevent cross-border transmission.
The organisation also announced that Uganda officially declared the end of its Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak on July 28 after completing 42 consecutive days without recording a locally transmitted confirmed case.
Despite that milestone, WHO urged Uganda and other neighbouring countries to remain vigilant, warning that the continued transmission of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo poses a significant risk of cross-border spread.
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