---
title: "Epidemic in the DRC: Thousands of Infections in Two Weeks and No Vaccine"
description: "One of the fastest Ebola outbreaks has been recorded in the DRC: over a thousand cases in two weeks. The epidemic is caused by a rare strain with no vaccine, and the WHO chief personally arrived at the epicenter to warn about the dangers of traditional funerals. 🚨🏥"
date: 2026-06-01T09:55:38.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/epidemic-in-the-drc-thousands-of-infections-and-no-vaccine
tags: []
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Epidemic in the DRC: Thousands of Infections in Two Weeks and No Vaccine

![Healthcare workers in protective suits transporting biohazard containers during an epidemic outbreak in the DRC](https://xab.info/media/2026/06/01/epidemiya-v-dr-kongo-tisyachi-zarazheniy-i-otsutstvie-vakciny/epidemiya-v-dr-kongo-tisyachi-zarazheniy-i-otsutstvie-vakciny-1.webp)

The Democratic Republic of Congo is witnessing one of the most rapid Ebola virus outbreaks in recent years. According to the international humanitarian organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), just two weeks after the official declaration of the epidemic, the number of suspected cases exceeded one thousand. The death toll has already reached at least 246 people.

### Unprecedented Spread Speed

Alan Gonzalez, Deputy Director of MSF, stated that no Ebola outbreak has ever demonstrated such aggressive spread immediately after confirmation. Medical personnel are recording new suspected cases daily, yet the exact scale of the catastrophe remains unknown due to a huge backlog of unprocessed laboratory samples.

The situation on the ground is exacerbated by logistical problems: border closures, transport restrictions, and difficulties in delivering humanitarian aid are hindering the work of rescuers.

### Visit by the WHO Chief and the Danger of Traditions

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus personally arrived in the Ituri province, which has become the epicenter of the outbreak. During his visit, he urged local residents to actively join the fight against the disease and warned about the dangers of traditional burial rites.

According to the WHO chief, contact with bodies of those who died from Ebola remains one of the most dangerous ways the infection is transmitted. The virus is transmitted through direct contact with the biological fluids of an infected person — blood, saliva, sweat, urine, or other secretions, as well as through contaminated household items.

### Rare Strain Without a Vaccine

Particularly alarming is the fact that the current outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain. At present, there is no proven effective vaccine for this type of virus. Experts estimate that the mortality rate from this variety of Ebola is about one-third of all infection cases.

Response services are unable to keep up with tracking the epidemic: medical staff can only contact one in five contact patients. Furthermore, the situation is complicated by attacks on medical facilities, after which people with suspected and confirmed diagnoses mass-exit hospitals.

### International Spread and Restrictions

The threat has spread beyond the borders of the Congo. Neighboring Uganda has already reported nine confirmed cases and one death. In Brazil, doctors are investigating a suspected infection in a 37-year-old man who recently returned from the Congo; the patient is isolated in an infectious disease facility in the state of São Paulo.

Canadian authorities have introduced temporary entry restrictions for foreigners arriving from countries with a high risk of virus spread, specifically the DRC, South Sudan, and Uganda.