Ebola Death Toll in Congo Reaches 600 as Outbreak Spreads to Previously Unaffected Provinces

Jul 9, 2026

The Ebola death toll in Congo has reached 600, with 1,759 confirmed cases as the outbreak spreads to previously unaffected provinces like Tshopo and Haut-Uele. Caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which lacks approved vaccines or treatments, this outbreak is the fastest-growing on the continent. Containment efforts face severe funding gaps, conflict, and health center attacks, though clinical trials for treatments have recently commenced.

Congo Ebola outbreak spread

▪Congolese authorities declared a fresh Ebola outbreak on May 15, 2026, after the disease had transmitted for weeks without official detection.
▪The Africa Centre for Disease Control stated on July 9, 2026, that the latest Ebola outbreak in Congo is the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on the continent.

Bundibugyo virus characteristics

▪The latest Ebola outbreak in Congo is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus.
▪The Bundibugyo virus form of Ebola has no approved vaccine or treatment.

Ebola death toll statistics

▪The total number of confirmed Ebola cases across Congo reached 1,759 as of July 9, 2026.
▪The death toll in the latest Ebola outbreak in Congo reached 600 as of July 9, 2026.

Case data across provinces

▪Two suspected Ebola cases were reported in Kisangani, Tshopo province, with one linked to the Nia-Nia health zone in Ituri province and the other having no geographical connection to known outbreaks.
▪Suspected cases of Ebola have been recorded in the previously unaffected Congolese provinces of Tshopo and Haut-Uele.

Containment funding shortfalls

▪Attacks on health centers have hampered efforts by authorities to contain the Ebola outbreak in Congo.
▪Efforts to contain the Ebola virus in Congo are hampered by a funding gap and an ongoing conflict in eastern Congo.

Clinical trial launch

▪Researchers launched a study in Congo in July 2026 in the hope of fighting the Bundibugyo virus.
▪Clinical trials for Ebola treatment began in Congo during the week prior to July 9, 2026.