Ebola spreads to two new zones in DRC; 60 areas now affected | Ebola News
Ebola Outbreak in DRC Reaches Record Spread, Spanning 60 Health Zones
Published August 28, 2026
The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reached a new milestone, becoming the fastest-spreading in history, according to the latest statistics from the Ministry of Health. The outbreak has now affected 60 health zones, including two newly impacted areas: Biena and Manguredjipa in the North Kivu province.
As of Friday, the DRC has reported 5,794 confirmed cases of Ebola and 2,786 deaths, resulting in an overall fatality rate of 48 percent. The mortality rate in the newly affected zones is reportedly higher, attributed partly to delayed response efforts.
Efforts to control the outbreak have been severely hindered by a variety of factors including ongoing armed conflict in the affected regions, displacement of populations, attacks on healthcare workers and facilities, and insufficient infrastructure. The outbreak is on track to surpass the deadliest Ebola epidemic on record—the outbreak that occurred between 2014 and 2016 in West Africa, which resulted in more than 11,000 fatalities.
In response to the escalating situation, aid organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) announced the opening of a new treatment center in Beni, North Kivu. This facility aims to facilitate a quicker response in one of the areas hardest hit by the outbreak, where there have been 122 confirmed cases and 87 deaths, resulting in an alarming 69 percent fatality rate.
Shortages in bed capacity have been a significant barrier to an effective response, according to aid workers. The newly opened center is expected to enable timely treatment for patients, bolster contact tracing efforts, and assist health authorities in curbing the virus’s spread.
Currently, there is no approved vaccine or treatment for this particular strain of Ebola, known as Bundibugyo, which is rarer than other types of the virus seen in past outbreaks. As a result, relief workers are relying on traditional methods such as contact tracing and patient isolation to manage the outbreak.
MSF has deployed approximately 1,400 staff members in the DRC and operates treatment centers with a total of 400 beds. Albert Stern, MSF’s emergency coordinator, emphasized that early diagnosis and treatment significantly improve survival chances while mitigating the risk of transmission within communities.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a stark warning on Thursday, stating that the Ebola outbreak is expanding more quickly than containment measures can keep pace. In a post on the social media platform X, he remarked, “The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the fastest-spreading Ebola epidemic ever recorded. The world must urgently step up action to get it under control.”
