Ebola Outbreak in Congo Claims Close to 1,000 Lives

WHO:

AP News - Dr. Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, stated, "These are people dying. They are dying because we don’t have vaccines, we don’t have medicine, we don’t have funding."

NY Post - Some health workers have gone on strike, complicating the response to the outbreak.

ABC News - Congo’s Ministry of Health is involved in reporting the outbreak data.

WHAT:

AP News - The confirmed death toll has reached 1,031 in the Ebola outbreak in Congo.

Al Jazeera - The DRC’s National Institute of Public Health reported that 999 deaths have been confirmed since the outbreak began in May.

Al Jazeera - The outbreak has killed more people at a quicker rate than any Ebola outbreak on record, including the 2013-2016 outbreak which took about eight months to reach 1,000 deaths.

AP News - At least 737 patients are currently in isolation and hospitals in the DRC.

AP News - The confirmed death toll has reached 1,031 in the Ebola outbreak in Congo.

AP News - The outbreak has been declared the fastest Ebola outbreak in history, with 80% of new cases emerging outside known chains of transmission.

AP News - Dr. Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, reported that 1,031 deaths have been confirmed in the outbreak.

AP News - The outbreak has been declared the fastest Ebola outbreak in history, with 80% of new cases emerging outside known chains of transmission.

AP News - The World Health Organization indicated that the true scale of the outbreak could be two to four times larger than official figures suggest.

Al Jazeera - Two people have died from the Bundibugyo strain of the virus in Uganda.

Al Jazeera - As of Monday, at least 737 patients are currently in isolation and hospitals in the DRC.

Al Jazeera - WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that the current outbreak had expanded faster than any previous outbreak of the virus over the past month.

Al Jazeera - Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya stated, "If we do not stop it today, this will become the worst outbreak the world has ever documented."

Al Jazeera - Kaseya requested US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr to lift Ebola-related travel restrictions on Uganda since the country has not reported any new infections in about a month.

Al Jazeera - Uganda’s last Ebola patient was discharged on July 16, beginning a 42-day countdown after which it can be declared free of the virus, according to WHO guidelines.

ABC News - The outbreak has killed more people at a quicker rate than any outbreak on record, surpassing the 2013-2016 outbreak which took about eight months to reach 1,000 deaths.

ABC News - At least 999 people have died from the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo.

ABC News - A total of 2,473 cases have been recorded in the latest outbreak.

ABC News - The outbreak has been declared the fastest Ebola outbreak in history.

ABC News - The Bundibugyo virus responsible for the outbreak has no approved vaccines or treatments.

WHERE:

ABC News - The outbreak is occurring in eastern Congo, specifically mentioned in Bunia.

WHEN:

ABC News - The outbreak was declared on May 15.

WHY:

AP News - Community resistance to Ebola response teams, particularly those conducting safe burials, has hampered the outbreak response.

AP News - Shortages of burial supplies have delayed responses to reported deaths, while some affected health zones still lack operational burial teams.

AP News - Community resistance to Ebola response teams, particularly those conducting safe burials, has hampered the outbreak response.

NY Post - The ongoing strike by health workers is complicating the response to the Ebola outbreak.

ABC News - The outbreak is unlike most previous Ebola outbreaks due to the lack of approved vaccines or treatments.

HOW:

AP News - Delays in transferring patients to treatment centers and waits of more than four days for some Ebola test results have increased the risk of further transmission.

ABC News - Ebola can be contracted via bodily fluids such as vomit, blood, or semen.

(UPDATED July 23, 2026 13:25 UTC)

The confirmed death toll in the Ebola outbreak in Congo has now reached 1,031, making it the deadliest outbreak on record, surpassing the previous one that took eight months to reach 1,000 deaths. The DRC’s National Institute of Public Health has reported that 999 of those deaths have occurred since the outbreak began in May, while at least 737 patients are currently isolated in hospitals. Challenges such as community resistance to response teams, shortages of burial supplies, and delays in patient transfers and test results are significantly hampering efforts to control the outbreak.

(UPDATED July 23, 2026 02:52 UTC)

The confirmed death toll in the Ebola outbreak in Congo has tragically reached 1,031, marking it as the fastest outbreak in history, with 80% of new cases emerging outside known chains of transmission. Dr. Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, emphasized the dire situation, stating, "These are people dying. They are dying because we don’t have vaccines, we don’t have medicine, we don’t have funding." Compounding the crisis, delays in transferring patients to treatment centers and waits of over four days for some Ebola test results have heightened the risk of further transmission.

(UPDATED July 22, 2026 22:21 UTC)

Dr. Jean Kaseya, the director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, has reported that 1,031 deaths have been confirmed in what is now the fastest Ebola outbreak in history, with 80% of new cases emerging outside known chains of transmission. The World Health Organization warns that the true scale of the outbreak could be two to four times larger than the official figures, as community resistance to Ebola response teams has hindered efforts, particularly with safe burials. Additionally, delays in transferring patients to treatment centers and waits of over four days for some Ebola test results have further increased the risk of transmission.

(UPDATED July 22, 2026 19:24 UTC)

Tragically, two people have died from the Bundibugyo strain of the virus in Uganda, while at least 737 patients are currently in isolation and hospitals in the DRC. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned that the current outbreak is expanding faster than any previous outbreak over the past month, and Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that if it isn't contained, it could become the worst outbreak ever documented. Kaseya has also requested US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr to lift Ebola-related travel restrictions on Uganda, noting that the country has not reported any new infections in about a month, with the last Ebola patient discharged on July 16, starting a 42-day countdown to potentially being declared free of the virus.

(UPDATED July 22, 2026 17:27 UTC)

An ongoing outbreak of Ebola is now claiming lives at a faster rate than any previous outbreak on record, surpassing the 2013-2016 outbreak that took about eight months to reach 1,000 deaths. Compounding the crisis, some health workers have gone on strike, which is complicating the response efforts. This combination of rapid fatalities and labor disputes is raising serious concerns about the effectiveness of the current health measures in place.

(UPDATED July 22, 2026 14:44 UTC)

Congo’s Ministry of Health is reporting that at least 999 people have died from the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo, specifically in Bunia, where a total of 2,473 cases have been recorded. This outbreak has been declared the fastest Ebola outbreak in history, and it is particularly alarming because the Bundibugyo virus responsible for it has no approved vaccines or treatments. Ebola can be contracted through bodily fluids such as vomit, blood, or semen, making the situation even more critical.