Ebola cases in Congo exceed 5,000, government data shows

HealthEbola cases in Congo exceed 5,000, government data showsBy Reuters -Aug 19, 2026Add ARY News on GoogleAAResizeNAIROBI: The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the ​Democratic Republic of Congo now exceeds 5,000, ‌government data showed late on Tuesday, as health officials warn that response efforts are failing to ​contain the deadly disease. Congo’s 17th Ebola epidemic ​turned into the biggest in the country’s ⁠history in terms of number of ​cases in late July and over the weekend ​the death toll hit 2,378, the public health institute said, surpassing the previous worst outbreak in 2018-2020. The institute ​has so far logged 5,021 cases, according ​to its latest situation report, making it the second-worst outbreak ‌globally, ⁠behind only the 2014 to 2016 epidemic in West Africa in both infections and deaths. The ongoing outbreak is caused by the ​Bundibugyo species of ​Ebola, which ⁠has no approved vaccines or treatments. It has gained momentum since it ​was declared on May 15, as ​weak ⁠health infrastructure, community resistance, instability and protests by response workers hinder efforts to identify and ⁠respond ​to cases. .post__content p { word-wrap: break-word; } .post__content img.alignleft { float: left; margin-top: 6px; margin-right: 24px !important; margin-bottom: 12px !important; margin-left: 0; width: auto !important; } .post__content img.alignright { float: right; margin-top: 6px; margin-right: 0; margin-bottom: 12px !important; margin-left: 24px !important; width: auto !important; }