{"id":2868,"date":"2026-07-31T08:39:49","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T08:39:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cnnglobalnews.com\/2026\/07\/31\/ebola-outbreak-in-drc-the-fastest-growing-in-the-history-of-the-virus\/"},"modified":"2026-07-31T08:39:49","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T08:39:49","slug":"ebola-outbreak-in-drc-the-fastest-growing-in-the-history-of-the-virus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/?p=2868","title":{"rendered":"Ebola outbreak in DRC the fastest growing in the history of the virus"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-14sl0e4\">\n<div class=\"dcr-17l77cs\">\n<figure id=\"ecf16557-aaf4-4a8f-ab48-22e264621230\" class=\"dcr-191xnya\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A pregnant woman lies on a bed while medical staff attend to her in an Ebola treatment centre\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/478165b289e55c3652218208eea3674625ebce76\/0_0_5897_3931\/master\/5897.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"309.97371544853314\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><span class=\"dcr-kogzpx\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-18mnkpm\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1294qmb\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-4sl2vt\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1mfxiaj\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">An Ebola treatment centre in Rwampara, Ituri, DRC, 20 June 2026. There have been 3,360 confirmed cases of the virus in the east of the country. <\/span> Photograph: Dieudonne Dirole\/EPA<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"ecf16557-aaf4-4a8f-ab48-22e264621230\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-qda0hp\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1e9iiy9\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">An Ebola treatment centre in Rwampara, Ituri, DRC, 20 June 2026. There have been 3,360 confirmed cases of the virus in the east of the country. <\/span> Photograph: Dieudonne Dirole\/EPA<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-ql9l8l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-6mja0y\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-l0wuod\">Ebola outbreak in DRC the fastest growing in the history of the virus<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1xpojbf\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1gm5ptv\">\n<p>As the death toll rises to almost 1,500, and with a vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain potentially still months away, health workers face a battle to slow the outbreak<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-x1al2c\">\n<div class=\"dcr-11gq2tx\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-1w2vkyc\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-ogvvui\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The latest numbers of confirmed cases of Ebola in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/congo\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Democratic Republic of the Congo<\/a> has made this latest outbreak the fastest growing in the known history of the virus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">At <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ecdc.europa.eu\/en\/ebola-outbreak-democratic-republic-congo-and-uganda\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">3,360 confirmed cases<\/a>, the disease is now affecting people in five provinces in the east of the DRC, with 1,487 deaths recorded, representing an overall case fatality rate estimated at about 45%, according to Congolese health officials. Health responses to the outbreak have been badly hampered by conflict in many of the affected areas.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cI fear that at some point, life may come to a standstill here in our province of Ituri,\u201d said Deborah Nzuva, a mother of four who lives in Rwampara, one of the affected regions. \u201cWe were already in a precarious situation before the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/ebola\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Ebola<\/a> virus disease, which continues to claim its victims.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Since officially declared by the Congolese authorities on 15 May, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/ebola\/situation-summary\/index.html\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Bundibugyo strain of the virus has spread faster<\/a> than any of the country\u2019s 16 previous Ebola outbreaks \u2013 and the numbers are approaching the previous worst toll, in <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC8672027\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">2018-2020 when 3,470 people in DRC<\/a> were infected.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Prof Pierre Akilimali, from the country\u2019s public health institute (NPHI), is in charge of the Ebola response. He emphasises that the disease continues to spread and that it is still difficult to know when it will reach its peak. According to him, there is a way to go and the road to bringing the outbreak under control is a long one.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"53a141d9-0530-4719-852c-a2b19afe4a13\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\">\n<div id=\"img-2\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Members of a Congolese Red Cross team wearing protective clothing carry the body of a dead woman to place her in a coffin\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/230cc6811e061fa1b73103390885e5424c18fe0b\/0_0_3600_2395\/master\/3600.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"296.0486111111111\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><a href=\"#img-2\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"53a141d9-0530-4719-852c-a2b19afe4a13\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-174mzkf\"><span class=\"dcr-vyhg7z\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Members of a Congolese Red Cross team in Bunia carry the body of a woman suspected of having died from Ebola, 7 June. <\/span> Photograph: Jospin Mwisha\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cHere in Ituri, we have the issues of insecurity, mining and high population density, which make the current outbreak more complex than previous ones,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The Congolese authorities say they have taken a number of measures to limit spread, including strengthening surveillance through community liaison officers, building more than 20 Ebola treatment centres, and setting up local laboratories for testing. \u201cThe public must also play their part by seeking medical advice at the slightest suspicion of infection,\u201d Akilimali said. \u201cThis will help us to respond effectively to the disease.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">He said cases continue to rise in the Bunia and Rwampara health zones, with between 100 and 150 new confirmed infections each week.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Annabelle Nissi, a clothing trader in Bunia, said people were living in fear.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cThis outbreak is causing us great distress. Our hope lies solely in God\u2019s hands. It continues to disrupt our lives and has brought our development projects to a standstill,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Dr Justus Nsio, field incident manager for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/africa\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Africa<\/a> Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, said it was a race against time.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"54fbf058-eedf-4652-bfed-5eed3e5612f6\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-1oq85qr\">\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-12 | 12\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-name=\"placeholder\" class=\"dcr-1rx5ky9\">\n<div data-format-theme=\"5\" data-format-design=\"0\" data-format-display=\"0\" class=\"dcr-uyoh2p\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2026\/jul\/12\/record-breaking-ebola-treatment-trial-drc\" class=\"dcr-f35c0u\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-vvxpdt\">\n<div class=\"dcr-6z6e7\">\n<div class=\"dcr-zh9rih\">First patients enrolled in record-breaking Ebola treatment trial in DRC<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-oj13vq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-ef9nua\">Read more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cAll the experts monitoring this outbreak agree that it was detected too late. When detection is delayed, we have to work hard to make up for what we missed earlier in order to contain the disease,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cWhat is certain is that, with the commitment of the movement and our partners, the outcome will be favourable.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"8258d958-96b2-4f98-9bbb-e9f35cd2b2c1\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\">\n<div id=\"img-3\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Health workers in PPE watched by members of a community prepare for a safe burial operation of people who died from Ebola\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/b665e139f14d144db5175f949a453dc4e0e5a48b\/0_0_7596_5066\/master\/7596.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"296.7838335966298\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><a href=\"#img-3\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"8258d958-96b2-4f98-9bbb-e9f35cd2b2c1\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-174mzkf\"><span class=\"dcr-vyhg7z\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Health workers prepare for a safe burial operation in the community of Mongbwalu, Ituri, DRC, in May. <\/span> Photograph: Michel Lunanga\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Clinical trials began in early July of a vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no standard treatment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">As of 15 July, about 20 people had been enrolled in these trials, which could last up to four months, according to Prof Placide Mbala, head of laboratory operations for the Ebola response in the DRC.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Uganda, which this week declared the Ebola outbreak over on its territory, 12 days after its last case was reported, has sent experts to the DRC to work alongside their Congolese counterparts, particularly in the border regions of Tchomia and Kasenyi.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-swayiu\"><span class=\"dcr-1xhbmzr\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-2c03t5\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-p7nd18\">\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/global-development\/global-development\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Global development<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/ebola\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Ebola<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/science\/infectiousdiseases\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Infectious diseases<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/congo\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Democratic Republic of the Congo<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/africa\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Africa<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-313bdz\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Ebola%20outbreak%20in%20DRC%20the%20fastest%20growing%20in%20the%20history%20of%20the%20virus&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2026\/jul\/31\/ebola-outbreak-in-drc-the-fastest-growing-in-the-history-of-the-virus?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-ncybeu\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-19bkree\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fglobal-development%2F2026%2Fjul%2F31%2Febola-outbreak-in-drc-the-fastest-growing-in-the-history-of-the-virus&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=global-development\/2026\/jul\/31\/ebola-outbreak-in-drc-the-fastest-growing-in-the-history-of-the-virus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-1c41onw\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1kq7f60\"><span class=\"dcr-1ryr20k\"><\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An Ebola treatment centre in Rwampara, Ituri, DRC, 20 June 2026. There have been 3,360 confirmed cases of the virus in the east of the country. Photograph: Dieudonne Dirole\/EPA View &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/?p=2868\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":2869,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2868","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2868","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2868"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2868\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2869"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2868"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2868"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2868"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}