BUNIA, Congo — Congo Ebola deaths have climbed past 5,000 as the country struggles to contain a fast-moving outbreak that has begun appearing in other African nations, according to the latest government figures released Saturday.
Data from the Ministry of Health shows 5,026 fatalities among 10,351 recorded infections, a lethality rate of nearly 50 percent. The scale and pace are renewing doubts among public health specialists about the capacity to rein in the virus.
The current outbreak, driven by the Bundibugyo virus, was declared in mid-May and caught authorities off guard. Efforts to control transmission have lagged since.
It is now the second deadliest Ebola outbreak on record, trailing only the 2014 to 2016 West Africa crisis that killed about 11,000 people across several countries.
“It is a very tragic milestone because it is just not a number,” said Dr. Patrick Otim, a programme area manager with the World Health Organization. He said the toll reflects devastated families and communities and underscores the severity of the crisis.
Health officials report 2,788 recoveries to date. There is no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo strain, so clinicians manage patients based on symptoms.
Congo Ebola deaths and spread across provinces
One-third of people who have died did not get to receive any care
Since May, cases have been detected in 67 of the country’s 178 health zones spanning eight of 26 provinces. Fifty of those 67 zones currently have active transmission.
The eastern provinces, especially Ituri and North Kivu, remain the epicenters, with 9,782 confirmed cases and 4,792 deaths combined.
Officials acknowledge persistent gaps in contact tracing and diagnostic testing, both essential to slowing the spread.
The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that roughly 80 percent of new infections are occurring outside known chains of monitored contacts. That indicates widespread undetected transmission.
Additionally, about one-third of the recorded deaths have occurred outside treatment centers before testing, Otim said. Health authorities warn that these factors fuel community spread beyond the reach of teams trained to enforce infection control.
“These are people we never had opportunity to try to save,” Otim said. “How do we try to reach people early to get them to come to health facilities to get a fighting chance to survive?”
‘The outbreak is stretching everyone responding to it’
Escalating infections in eastern Congo coincide with a difficult operating environment for health workers.
The region is beset by conflict involving government forces and multiple armed groups, including the Rwanda-backed M23, as well as an Islamist insurgency near the Ugandan border led by the Allied Democratic Forces. Insecurity has limited access for response teams.
Community distrust has also prompted attacks on health staff and facilities. A nurse responding to an Ebola alert was killed last week, and in September a ruling party politician was killed after advocating on radio for public health measures.
Worker unrest has further disrupted care. Health personnel have gone on repeated strikes over delayed government payments, prompting temporary shutdowns of treatment sites.
On Friday, staff at an Ebola treatment center in Tchomia, Ituri, stopped work, demanding four months of unpaid wages. Five confirmed patients and 10 suspected cases are currently under care at the facility. “We are tired of requesting our salaries,” said Moise Mugenyi, one of the striking workers. Dr. Justin Mukonkole, the acting head of response operations in Ituri, urged patience while authorities address the grievances.
Similar disruptions have hit other zones, including Beni in North Kivu, where some services have stalled. Local official Alain Siwako said case numbers are climbing due to fuel shortages and limited financial support from the central government.
“Across Ituri and North Kivu, this outbreak is stretching everyone responding to it, including the communities themselves,” said Rose Tchwenko, Country Director for the DRC at Prosper Global.
Beyond Congo, Kenya and Nigeria confirmed Ebola cases in October. Kenya has reported eight infections and two deaths, while Nigeria’s single confirmed case was evacuated to Switzerland.
With confirmations in those countries and earlier detections in Uganda, officials say the crisis is the first recorded across three African regions and the most geographically widespread Ebola outbreak on the continent to date.
Authorities have also turned to regional security coordination, similar to operations like Operation Not Forgotten 2026, to manage border controls and cross-border health surveillance.