The death toll from the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has climbed to 131, with more than 500 suspected cases now recorded. The World Health Organization said it was "deeply concerned" by the scale and pace of the epidemic.
Issued on: 19/05/2026 - 14:52Modified: 19/05/2026 - 14:54
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According to Congo's health minister, Samuel-Roger Kamba, the outbreak, centred in the country's northeast, has spread beyond its original hotspot and crossed international borders, prompting the WHO to declare a public health emergency of international concern. "We have recorded roughly 131 deaths in total and around 513 suspected cases," Kamba told Congolese national television overnight. The figures mark a sharp increase on the previous reported toll of 91 deaths from 350 suspected cases. Kamba stressed that the numbers remained provisional, cautioning that laboratory testing was still limited and that further investigations were needed to confirm whether all the deaths were linked to Ebola. The outbreak is being driven by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment. Ebola has killed more than 15,000 people across Africa over the past 50 years. DRC Ebola outbreak: 'Nobody has a grip on the numbers,’ top expert warns WHO raises alarm Speaking at the World Health Assembly in Geneva on Tuesday, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he had not declared the emergency status lightly. "I am deeply concerned about the scale and speed of the epidemic," Tedros told delegates. The WHO also announced that an emergency committee would meet later on Tuesday to discuss the rapidly evolving situation.
