DRC Ebola Cases Rise Above 5,000 as Africa CDC Warns of Continued Transmission Risk
Mirian Gom 
DRC, Congo – The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) says confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have increased to 5,021, with 2,378 deaths, making the current outbreak the country’s largest on record by confirmed infections.
The outbreak, officially declared on May 15, 2026, is the DRC’s 17th Ebola epidemic and is believed to have circulated for several weeks before health authorities detected it.
According to the Africa CDC on Wednesday, the outbreak has spread across parts of northern and eastern DRC, where insecurity, weak health systems and the activities of armed groups continue to hamper response efforts.
The latest figures surpass the country’s previous largest Ebola outbreak between 2018 and 2020, which recorded 3,381 confirmed cases and 2,299 deaths, according to the World Health Organization.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that the outbreak remains far from being contained.
“The risk of further national and international spread remains high,” Tedros said.
Africa CDC noted that community resistance, refusals to undergo testing and mistrust of health authorities continue to undermine surveillance and disease-control operations.
The agency added that response teams are intensifying case detection, contact tracing and community engagement to contain further transmission.
Health authorities also face an additional challenge because there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo strain responsible for the outbreak, although clinical trials are ongoing.
Meanwhile, the European Union has announced €2.5 million worth of laboratory testing kits to support outbreak response efforts in the DRC.
Over the past five decades, Ebola has claimed more than 15,000 lives across Africa, underscoring the continued importance of surveillance, rapid response and international cooperation.
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Oluwafunbi Bello 
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Korede Abdullah 