DR Congo Ebola Outbreak Surpasses 11,000 Cases and 5,300 Deaths

OPA WIRE, Nov 11 (OPA) — Government figures released on Tuesday detail the toll of the largest Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's history. The outbreak now stands as the second-largest and second-deadliest ever recorded globally, trailing only the 2014-2016 West African epidemic that infected more than 28,600 people and killed over 11,000.

The outbreak is driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus, which kills approximately half of those infected. Containment efforts remain severely hindered because no vaccines or targeted treatments have yet been developed specifically for this particular strain.

Eight of the country's 26 provinces have reported infections in the ongoing crisis. A significant proportion of fatalities have occurred outside established treatment centers as health services face extreme strain across the affected regions.

Earlier this month, the World Health Organization approved clinical trials for two new Ebola vaccines, with preliminary results anticipated in early 2027. Meanwhile, infections span East, Central, and West Africa, marking the widest geographic distribution for any recorded Ebola outbreak on the continent.