The Democratic Republic of the Congo has recorded at least 2,011 deaths from the Ebola virus this year, according to the latest official figures. Health officials warn the outbreak could become the deadliest in the country’s history. Authorities reported a total of 4,381 confirmed cases during the same period.

While it took nearly nine weeks to reach the first 1,000 fatalities, the death toll doubled in just three weeks—a stark indication that the health crisis is worsening faster than containment efforts.

Healthcare teams face immense challenges in reaching remote communities due to ongoing rebel violence, deteriorating road networks, and strikes by workers protesting unpaid wages.

“The situation is alarming,” said Dr. Jean-Marie Akandabo, who oversees patient care at a local clinic in Ituri, northeastern DRC. He called for urgent reinforcements in the worst-hit areas.

This marks the 17th Ebola outbreak in the country, already the most widespread in its history. Experts now warn it “could surpass all previous epidemics recorded in the DRC.” Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, the global vaccine alliance, issued the warning after reviewing the latest data.

With a case fatality rate of 45.9%, the current outbreak is deadlier than the devastating West Africa epidemic (2014–2016), which recorded a 39.6% mortality rate despite infecting over 28,000 people and killing more than 11,000. That remains the deadliest Ebola outbreak on record.

Emergency response escalates

Authorities declared the outbreak on May 15, but genetic sequencing suggests the virus began circulating as early as February. The government has since declared a national health emergency to accelerate containment measures.

Unlike previous outbreaks, this one involves the rare Bundibugyo Ebola strain, for which no approved vaccines or treatments exist. Clinical trials for experimental vaccines are underway in Ituri Province, the epicenter of the crisis in eastern DRC.

Humanitarian teams report the outbreak is outpacing response efforts across the five affected provinces in the east. Healthcare workers have staged walkouts over unpaid salaries since the emergency began. The World Health Organization (WHO) has noted that most new cases are emerging outside monitored contacts, signaling uncontrolled transmission.

“Without an effective vaccine, containment relies entirely on early detection and isolation of cases in secure facilities until recovery or death,” explained Professor Paul Hunter of the University of East Anglia, UK. “In remote regions like this—with active conflict and disrupted communications—identifying cases early enough to prevent spread can be nearly impossible.”

On Friday, WHO vaccine experts recommended launching large-scale human trials of the only currently licensed Ebola vaccine, Ervebo, to assess whether it provides cross-protection against the Bundibugyo strain ravaging eastern DRC.

Ervebo has proven safe and effective against the Zaire Ebola strain—the most common variant—but preliminary animal data suggest it may offer partial protection against Bundibugyo. Two additional experimental vaccines are in early human trial phases, with a third in preclinical development.

Dr. Mohamed Yakub Janabi, WHO’s Africa regional director, admitted officials are “racing to catch up with a virus that’s pulling ahead.”

Ebola spreads through contact with bodily fluids and causes severe hemorrhagic fever. The virus was first identified in 1976 near the Ebola River in what is now the DRC.