Ebola outbreak on track to be deadliest ever, WHO chief says
The outbreak, declared on 15 May, has caused more than 2,000 deaths, with thousands more reported cases.
The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is poised to become the deadliest on record, according to the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO). Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus informed reporters that the 2026 outbreak, "at its current pace," is set to "eclipse" the 2014-2016 epidemic, which resulted in at least 11,000 fatalities.
This year's outbreak, officially declared on May 15, has already seen a minimum of 4,300 cases and claimed over 2,000 lives. The WHO stated on Wednesday its ambition to reverse the disease's spread within three months, emphasizing that this goal pertains to controlling transmission, not eradicating the outbreak entirely. Health officials indicated this week that while the epidemic was formally recognized in May, it is believed to have commenced at least three months prior.
"We are chasing the virus, the virus is ahead of us," remarked Dr. Mohamed Janabi, WHO Africa director, during a news conference in Bunia, a city near the outbreak's epicenter. He referenced research suggesting the virus began circulating in February, initially misdiagnosed as malaria or typhoid.
The 2026 outbreak is attributed to the rare Bundibugyo species of Ebola, which has only caused two previous known outbreaks, in 2007 and 2012. Currently, there are no approved vaccines or recognized therapeutic drugs effective against this particular strain of the virus.
Ongoing regional instability in the eastern DRC, near the outbreak's location, has compounded the challenges in containing the disease's spread. Consequently, health workers are only able to reach approximately 30% of cases, according to Janabi.
Ebola is a rare yet lethal viral disease, with symptoms typically manifesting within two to 21 days post-infection. Initial symptoms, resembling the flu or malaria, such as fever, headache, and fatigue, can appear suddenly. As the illness progresses, vomiting and diarrhea may develop, potentially leading to organ failure. The virus transmits from person to person through contact with infected bodily fluids like blood or vomit.
The UK's medicines regulator, the MHRA, has authorized the first human trials for a Bundibugyo vaccine. This vaccine is being developed by a University of Oxford team, utilizing the same technology as the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine. Three other groups are also working on different Bundibugyo vaccines, though they have not yet advanced to clinical trials. The WHO is also backing a separate clinical trial in the DRC to assess whether two existing antiviral therapies can improve survival rates.