Congo Ebola outbreak hits 5,000 cases as it outpaces response efforts

Data from Congo's Ministry of Health showed the outbreak had so far recorded 5,021 cases, including 2,378 deaths as of Sunday

Ebola
The outbreak has infected and killed more people at a greater speed than any other outbreak in history | Image: Bloomberg
AP Bunia (Congo)
1 min read Last Updated : Aug 19 2026 | 2:36 PM IST

The Ebola outbreak in Congo has reached 5,000 cases, government data showed Wednesday, as responders warn it is spreading at an unprecedented speed, outpacing efforts to slow it in one of the country's remotest regions.

Data from Congo's Ministry of Health showed the outbreak had so far recorded 5,021 cases, including 2,378 deaths as of Sunday, as it rages in some of the most challenging conditions imaginable, fueled by insecurity, displacement and intense population movements.

The outbreak has infected and killed more people at a greater speed than any other outbreak in history.

Starting from the first detected case, it has spread about three times faster than an outbreak from 2014 to 2016 across West Africa, which was the deadliest Ebola outbreak on record with more than 11,000 deaths.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Topics :CongoEbolaEbola virus vaccine

First Published: Aug 19 2026 | 2:36 PM IST

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