DR Congos Ebola outbreak risks becoming deadliest ever as cases surge

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ebola outbreak could become the deadliest on record, the head of Africa’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned on Wednesday, as confirmed cases rose to 837 and deaths reached 196. The rare Bundibugyo variant—against which no approved vaccine or treatment exists—is spreading from its epicenter in eastern DRC, raising fears of a catastrophe that would dwarf previous outbreaks. “This could be the worst Ebola outbreak ever,” said Africa CDC director general Jean Kaseya .

The human toll is already devastating. In Bunia, a city of 400,000 in Ituri province, public-facing workers bear the brunt of the crisis. Justin Keno, principal of Nelson Mandela School, greets 400 pupils daily while fearing silent carriers among them. His school has installed hand-washing stations, banned outside food vendors, and forced students to bring packed lunches to avoid canteen exposure. “I wonder which child might be carrying Ebola,” Keno told *The Guardian* .

The economic fallout is equally severe. Motorcycle taxi drivers, travel agents, and small traders—many of whom rely on daily cash flow—have seen incomes vanish as fear paralyzes movement. Travel restrictions and public distrust have shuttered markets, while health workers struggle to trace contacts in a region where trust in authorities is fragile. The World Health Organization has deployed rapid-response teams, but the Bundibugyo strain’s high fatality rate and lack of countermeasures complicate containment.

Denmark has pledged millions in emergency funding to bolster DRC’s response, joining a growing list of international donors . Yet logistical hurdles persist: remote villages, porous borders, and mistrust of government health teams hinder efforts. Médecins Sans Frontières has warned that without accelerated vaccination campaigns and community engagement, the outbreak could spiral beyond control.

Public health experts draw uneasy parallels to the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw epidemiologists like Amrish Baidjoe advocate for swift action while others promoted unproven treatments . Critics now urge governments to prioritize prevention and heed early warnings, lessons they say were ignored during COVID-19. “Crisis management must start before the crisis,” said a coalition of Dutch health advocates .

With no end in sight, the outbreak’s trajectory hinges on whether international aid can outpace the virus’s spread. For now, the DRC’s frontline workers—teachers, drivers, and traders—remain on the front lines, their lives and livelihoods hanging in the balance.