The World Health Organization warned on July 15, 2026, that the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is the fastest-growing ever recorded, with new infections outpacing the ability of health officials to track transmission chains, according to United Nations News.
The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo species of the virus. UN News said infections have reached record highs, and the WHO issued a stark characterization: "This is a fire."
NPR reported that deaths in eastern Congo have surpassed 700. Cases with no identified source of transmission account for 80% of the total in the region, NPR said, and the spread is moving faster than health officials can follow.
The WHO said the majority of new cases cannot be traced to any known transmission chain, a pattern that United Nations News also confirmed. The agency's July 15 warning described the situation as without precedent in the history of recorded Ebola outbreaks.