Ebola Crisis Deepens: Death Toll Reaches 600, Cases Top 1,700
SWIFT DAILY NEWS
FILE PHOTO: Red Cross workers wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) disinfect the house of an unidentified man who died of Ebola before retrieving his body, as aid agencies intensify efforts to contain a new Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain, in Quartier Shuni 1, a residential sector in Mongbwalu, Djugu Territory of Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 24, 2026. REUTERS/Gradel Muyisa Mumbere/File Photo
By Swift Reporter
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is facing a worsening Ebola crisis after health authorities confirmed that the death toll from the ongoing outbreak has risen to 600, with experts warning that the virus is spreading faster than efforts to contain it.
The latest figures were released on Thursday, just three days after the number of deaths surpassed 500, underscoring the alarming pace at which the outbreak is escalating.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) described the outbreak as the “fastest growing ever,” warning that health responders are struggling to keep up with the spread of the deadly disease.
“Unfortunately, the virus is still ahead of our response. It’s moving faster than deploying the resources to control the situation,” an Africa CDC emergency preparedness official said.
According to the DRC Ministry of Health, confirmed Ebola cases have now exceeded 1,700, with new infections continuing to emerge in communities across the country.
The outbreak has primarily affected 37 health zones in the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu, but officials are increasingly concerned by reports of suspected cases appearing in areas that were previously unaffected.
Health authorities confirmed that suspected infections have now been recorded in Kisangani in Tshopo Province and in Haut-Uele Province, raising fears that the virus is spreading beyond its original epicentre.
Efforts to contain the outbreak have faced significant challenges, including insecurity in eastern Congo, attacks on health facilities and medical personnel, as well as critical funding shortages that have slowed response operations.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates the outbreak currently has a 34 percent case fatality rate, based on data provided by Congolese health authorities.
The outbreak is being caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, a rare variant for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment.
However, there is a glimmer of hope after two experimental treatments entered clinical trials in the DRC on July 2, as scientists race to find effective ways of reducing deaths and slowing transmission.
Public health experts have also noted that by the time the WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in May, the virus had already been circulating undetected for several weeks, allowing it to gain a foothold in multiple communities.
With the death toll continuing to rise and the virus spreading into new regions, health authorities are now calling for urgent international support to strengthen surveillance, treatment and containment efforts before the outbreak spirals further out of control.
The latest developments have renewed concerns across the region, particularly among neighbouring countries, which remain on high alert for possible cross-border transmission of the deadly disease.
