DRC Ebola Outbreak Surpasses 5,300 Cases As Death Toll Nears 2,560

Kinshasa, August 23, 2026 - Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo said Ebola infections had reached 5,375 cases with 2,557 deaths, as the outbreak spread across six provinces and 56 districts.

As of August 20, officials reported 1,167 recoveries and 737 patients in isolation or receiving treatment. The case fatality rate stood at 47.6 percent. Contact tracing reached 85.5 percent, above the national target of 85 percent.

The outbreak, active since May 2026, involves the Bundibugyo strain. Authorities began issuing updated World Health Organization certificates as containment measures continued.

For Rwanda, a major Ebola surge in neighboring DRC raises border health surveillance risks, potential trade disruption and pressure on cross-border mobility in the Great Lakes region.