DR Congo Ebola deaths pass 2,000 as outbreak accelerates

Nexus Europa Newsroom
Posted Aug 17, 2026, 05:00 AM UTC · In the digest of 2026-08-17-0500
DR Congo Ebola deaths pass 2,000 as outbreak accelerates
Photo: RTP (Rádio e Televisão de Portugal)

Fatalities from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have surpassed 2,000 as health agencies struggle with insecurity and an untreated strain.

Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo report that fatalities from the ongoing Ebola epidemic have exceeded 2,000, with total confirmed cases rising past 4,300. First declared in mid-May, the crisis represents the fastest-spreading Ebola outbreak on record and the highest caseload in the country's history.

Health agencies note that the disease continues to claim around 50 lives each day while generating nearly 100 new infections. Medical containment efforts, concentrated primarily in northeastern Ituri province, remain severely disrupted by persistent militia violence and large-scale population displacement. The response is further challenged by the Bundibugyo virus strain driving the crisis, for which there are no approved vaccines or targeted clinical treatments. Over 700 individuals currently remain in isolation facilities.

Sources: Canarias7, Expresso, Expresso das Ilhas, La Vanguardia, RTP (Rádio e Televisão de Portugal).

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