DR Congo Ebola Outbreak Spreads to Sixth Province, Cases Rise

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has spread to a sixth province, Bas-Uele, located in the north-east of the country.

The Communications Ministry officially confirmed a case discovered earlier on August 14, 2026. Health authorities identified a person who died from Ebola in the provincial capital Buta on August 13. Bas-Uele was not previously affected by the virus. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the deceased was a motorcycle-taxi driver who had traveled from a neighboring region and sought treatment at several hospitals before testing positive posthumously.

His colleagues attempted to forcibly take his body, leading to police intervention. The World Health Organization stated the current outbreak is on track to surpass the deadliest in history. The death toll of 2,100 people in this outbreak has been reached almost three times faster than in the 2014 to 2016 epidemic in West Africa, which recorded over 11,000 deaths.

The latest report indicates confirmed Ebola cases in Congo have increased to 4,665, including 2,184 deaths. Delayed detection, ongoing conflict, and strained health services have contributed to the rapid spread. The outbreak was declared on May 15, but sequencing revealed it began months earlier, in February. Bas-Uele is a vast region bordering the Central African Republic, marked by armed violence, difficult access due to poor roads and limited communication networks, and frequent population movements from gold mining and conflict displacement.

As of Thursday, 6 out of 26 of Congo’s provinces have been impacted, with about 90 percent of all cases and 80 percent of deaths concentrated in Ituri province. The situation is compounded by striking unpaid health workers, threats from rebel groups, and misinformation asserting that Ebola is not real.