WHO Warns 2026 Ebola Outbreak Could Be Deadliest in History

Sun Sep 06 2026 02:05:33 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

The DRC Ebola crisis, with 4,300 cases and 2,000 deaths, may eclipse the 2014‑16 outbreak, says WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

In a press briefing the World Health Organization’s director‑general warned that the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is poised to become the deadliest in the disease’s history. With 4,300 confirmed cases and more than 2,000 fatalities, the disease is spreading faster than the 2014‑16 West African epidemic that claimed 11,000 lives. The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which no approved vaccine exists, though human trials of a new vaccine are now underway. Health workers are reaching only 30 % of cases amid clashes and logistical obstacles in eastern DRC, complicating containment efforts. WHO is also sponsoring trials of two antiviral therapies to improve survival rates.

The World Health Organization’s chief warned today that the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is on track to eclipse the 2014‑16 epidemic as the deadliest ever.

According to WHO, the outbreak declared in May has already registered more than 4,300 cases and over 2,000 deaths. The director‑general praised the speed of the response but cautioned that the disease is spreading faster than the previous global flare‑up.

Health officials believe the outbreak began at least three months before it was officially declared, with early cases misdiagnosed as malaria or typhoid. Dr Mohamed Janabi, WHO Africa director, said the virus is “ahead of us,” underscoring the need for rapid contact tracing.

Current research shows the outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo species, which has only caused two past epidemics in 2007 and 2012. No approved vaccine or drug targets the strain, leaving health workers to rely on standard isolation and care.

Regional conflict near the outbreak epicenter has reduced healthcare coverage to roughly 30 % of cases, complicating containment. WHO is sponsoring a clinical trial of two antiviral therapies in the DRC to test whether they can lower fatality rates.

In response, the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has approved the first human trials for a Bundibugyo vaccine designed by a team at the University of Oxford, using the same platform as the COVID‑19 AstraZeneca vaccine. Additional vaccine candidates from other groups are not yet in clinical testing.

WHO continues to urge local governments and international partners to increase surveillance, vaccinate contacts where possible, and support healthcare workers in the region to reduce transmission and improve outcomes.