DRC Ebola outbreak becomes third-largest ever as unknown transmission chains fuel spread
According to WHO, nearly 2,000 confirmed cases and more than 700 deaths had been recorded across five DRC provinces as of July 11.
A staff member carries out disinfection at an Ebola treatment center in Bunia, Ituri Province, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, June 9, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua)
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has become the third-largest ever recorded, with infections rising at the fastest pace since the crisis began, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported, warning that most new cases are emerging from unknown transmission chains that are making the virus increasingly difficult to contain.
According to WHO, nearly 2,000 confirmed cases and more than 700 deaths had been recorded across five DRC provinces as of July 11, with the majority of infections concentrated in eastern DRC’s Ituri Province, the epicentre of the outbreak.
The agency’s biggest concern is that the outbreak is no longer following predictable patterns. Around 80 per cent of new cases are being identified among people who were not previously listed as contacts of known patients, making it harder for health teams to find infections before they spread.
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“Eighty per cent of new cases are outside our contact lists and so are coming to us from unknown chains of transmission,” said Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Executive Director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme.
The warning came after Dr Ihekweazu returned from Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province, on Tuesday, where the outbreak is concentrated. According to Dr Ihekweazu, the outbreak had recorded its fastest growth in a single month since it began, with more than 80 cases confirmed within 24 hours in recent days.
“You have to imagine that this is a fire. Something is driving the fire in its heart, and it's also expanding at the same time,” Dr Ihekweazu said.
Although up to 95 per cent of cases remain in Ituri, the outbreak has recently spread to the neighbouring provinces of Haut-Uele and Tshopo, raising concerns that the virus could establish new transmission hotspots.
The growing number of people dying in their communities without ever reaching health facilities has emerged as another major warning sign, according to WHO. The agency described these community deaths as the most alarming development because they suggest some infections are being detected too late or not being recorded at all.
According to the agency, estimates suggest the true scale of the outbreak could be two to four times the number of reported cases.
WHO is now pursuing a two-pronged response: intensifying efforts to control the outbreak at its centre in Ituri while mapping travel patterns and identifying areas where new infections could emerge. Dr Ihekweazu urged the international community to maintain support for the response, warning that the virus's rapid spread requires continued action.
“Now is not the time to drop the ball,” he said.