Kinsasha, June 13: The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has risen to 689, with 139 fatalities reported. This information comes from the latest situation report released by health officials.
According to the report, 17 new confirmed cases were identified on Thursday, including five deaths. All these cases were recorded in the eastern Ituri province. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, has affected 29 health zones across three provinces: Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu.
As of Thursday, there were also 168 suspected cases, with 64 deaths recorded among them. The report highlights several operational challenges, including reluctance to conduct post-mortem sample testing, limited capacity at Ebola treatment centers, a shortage of infection prevention and control materials in North Kivu, weaknesses in the warning and surveillance reporting systems across the three provinces, and a financial shortfall of $21.5 million.
A report released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Thursday noted two Ebola-related deaths in an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Ituri.
The current outbreak was officially declared by the DRC’s Ministry of Health on May 15. According to the Xinhua news agency, this marks the 17th outbreak of Ebola in the country since the virus was first identified in 1976.
In May 2026, Ebola outbreaks were confirmed in both the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. The current strain, the Bundibugyo species, does not yet have an approved vaccine or specific treatment available, although trials for potential vaccines and treatments are ongoing.
This outbreak is occurring at a time when the region faces humanitarian crises, remote and densely populated areas, insecurity, and increased movement of people and commercial activities.
Ebola was first identified in 1976 through two separate outbreaks. The first outbreak occurred in what is now South Sudan as Sudan virus disease, while the second outbreak was recorded in the Yambuku area of the current Democratic Republic of Congo as Ebola virus disease.
The second outbreak took place in a village near the Ebola River, which is how the disease got its name.
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