The fastest spreading Ebola outbreak in history has surpassed another grim milestone. More than 10,000 people have been infected since the outbreak was first declared in May, according to the latest government figures from the Democratic Republic of Congo. "It's a milestone that we're all surprised to be passing this quickly," says Katie Thomas-Canfield, interim Ebola response director for the International Rescue Committee.
"10,000 people affected by Ebola in such a short period is really staggering," she says, noting that at this point in the West Africa outbreak of 2014-2016, only about 4,000 people had been infected. But that earlier outbreak still has the highest case count — more than 28,000 cases. The current outbreak is also the largest ever in geographic scope, spanning Nigeria to Kenya.
It is second in the death toll, with nearly 5,000 deaths compared to the previous toll of over 11,000. About a third of those who've died in this outbreak have been kids. Children under 5, with their developing immune systems, are hit especially hard — roughly three out of four infected have died.
"Behind every figure is a life interrupted, a family mourning, a health worker under pressure and a community seeking reassurance," said Mohamed Janabi, regional director for the World Health Organization Africa, at a press conference last week. "We must reach people earlier, bring safe care closer, and strengthen trust before fear becomes a barrier to survival." Here's a look at some of the key questions about the 2026 outbreak. Part of the answer lies in uncertainty over when the virus started circulating While the outbreak was officially declared in May, more recent evidence suggests the virus likely started spreading in February or March.
"That's a really long time for things to be undetected in communities, and that means we started at a disadvantage," says Thomas-Canfield. A confluence of factors contributed to the delay. First, there's the fact that a rarer species of Ebola is behind the outbreak — Bundibugyo.
Existing tests weren't calibrated for this species, leading to delays. What's more, this region of northeastern DRC is remote and beset by conflict. And U.S. cuts to foreign aid may have slowed disease surveillance efforts, says Nahid Bhadelia, an infectious disease physician at Boston University.
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