The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has now claimed the lives of at least 2,011 people, according to the latest official figures, raising fears that this could become the deadliest epidemic in the country’s history. Government data released overnight confirmed a total of 4,381 confirmed cases.

While it took roughly nine weeks to reach the first 1,000 deaths, the toll has since doubled in just three weeks—a clear sign that the health crisis is accelerating faster than response efforts can contain it.

Health authorities attribute the rapid surge in cases and fatalities to severe logistical challenges, including rebel violence disrupting access to remote areas, deteriorating road networks, and strikes by healthcare workers protesting unpaid wages.

Dr. Jean-Marie Akandabo, overseeing patient care at a local clinic in Ituri, described the situation as “alarming” and urgently called for intensified action in the worst-affected communities.

This marks the 17th recorded Ebola outbreak in the DRC, already the largest in the country’s history. Experts now warn it “could surpass all previous Ebola flare-ups”, including the devastating West Africa epidemic between 2014 and 2016, which caused over 11,000 deaths from 28,000 cases. That remains the deadliest Ebola outbreak on record.

State of emergency declared

The current outbreak was officially declared on May 15, though health officials confirm through viral sequencing that the virus was circulating as early as February. Authorities have since declared a national health emergency.

This outbreak stands out for its severity, driven by the rare Bundibugyo Ebola strain—a version of the virus for which no approved vaccines or treatments currently exist. Clinical trials have begun in Ituri Province, the outbreak’s epicenter in eastern Congo.

Humanitarian workers report that the epidemic continues to outpace response efforts across the five eastern provinces affected. Many health workers have gone on strike over unpaid salaries since the outbreak was declared, and the World Health Organization notes that most new cases are emerging outside the monitored contact lists, indicating that transmission remains largely uncontrolled.

“Without an effective vaccine, containment relies entirely on identifying cases early and isolating patients in secure facilities until recovery or, tragically, death,” explained Paul Hunter, professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom. “In a conflict zone with poor infrastructure and disrupted communications, tracking cases swiftly enough to prevent spread can be nearly impossible.”

On Friday, WHO vaccine experts recommended launching a large-scale human trial with the only currently licensed Ebola vaccine, Ervebo, to assess whether it provides cross-protection against the Bundibugyo strain currently spreading in the DRC—where no specific vaccine exists yet.

Ervebo has proven safe and effective against the Zaire Ebola strain, and preliminary data—including animal studies—suggest it may offer some protection against the rare Bundibugyo strain fueling the current outbreak in the DRC.

Two experimental vaccines targeting the Bundibugyo strain are in early human trials, with a third in development and poised for testing.

Dr. Mohamed Yakub Janabi, WHO’s Africa regional director, admitted that officials “are chasing the virus, which has a head start.”

Ebola spreads through contact with bodily fluids and triggers severe hemorrhagic fever. The virus was first identified in 1976 near the Ebola River in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo.