DR Congo Ebola cases cross 3,200 with 1,405 deaths, outbreak in sustained transmission
Synopsis
DR Congo's Ebola death toll has crossed 1,405 with 3,200 confirmed cases and no approved vaccine in sight — yet the University of Oxford has now vaccinated its first volunteer in the world's first human trial of a Bundibugyo-specific vaccine. With North Kivu's isolation wards running at 121% capacity and 125 new cases in a single day, the outbreak is far from contained.
Key Takeaways
DR Congo has recorded 3,200 confirmed Ebola cases and 1,405 deaths as of 27 July 2025 .
125 new confirmed cases and 51 deaths were reported in the preceding 24 hours .
Ituri Province accounts for 89% of all confirmed cases; the outbreak has spread to five provinces .
North Kivu isolation wards are at 121.3% capacity ; nationwide bed occupancy is 82.1% .
Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka confirmed a government disbursement of 50 million US dollars for the response.
The University of Oxford has launched the world's first human trial of the ChAdOx1 BDBV vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has recorded 3,200 confirmed Ebola cases and 1,405 deaths as of 27 July 2025, according to the latest situation report released by the country's health authorities. The outbreak, declared on 15 May and caused by the Bundibugyo ebolavirus, remains in a phase of sustained transmission with high virus circulation across five provinces.
Scale of the Outbreak
The situation report, covering data through Saturday, confirmed 571 recoveries and 773 patients currently in isolation. In the preceding 24 hours alone, authorities recorded 125 new confirmed cases and 51 confirmed deaths — figures that underscore the outbreak's accelerating pace. The epidemic has spread from its northeastern origin in Ituri Province to five provinces in total.
Ituri Province Remains the Epicentre
Ituri Province accounts for 89 per cent of all confirmed cases, according to the health report. Authorities attribute the continued spread to population movements, insecurity, artisanal mining activities, and cross-border travel with Uganda and South Sudan. This is not the first time cross-border mobility has complicated containment in the region — the 2018–2020 Kivu outbreak faced similar challenges, eventually becoming the second-deadliest Ebola epidemic in history.
Treatment Capacity Under Severe Strain
Healthcare infrastructure is buckling under the caseload. North Kivu Province reported 171 patients in isolation against a bed capacity of just 141, an occupancy rate of 121.3 per cent. Nationwide, bed occupancy stood at 82.1 per cent. Authorities said they would continue strengthening surveillance and scaling up response measures to limit further spread.
Government Response and Funding
DR Congo Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka warned on Friday in Bunia — the capital of Ituri Province — that the outbreak risks deepening the already severe humanitarian crisis in eastern DRC. She confirmed the government has disbursed 50 million US dollars for the response, supplemented by funds from international partners. Suminwa also noted that researchers are actively working to develop a treatment and a vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain.
First Human Vaccine Trial Launched
There is currently no approved vaccine or specifically licensed treatment for the Bundibugyo ebolavirus, and several experimental vaccines and therapeutics are undergoing clinical evaluation. In a significant development, the University of Oxford announced on Friday that the first volunteer has been vaccinated in the world's first human trial of a vaccine — known as ChAdOx1 BDBV — designed specifically to protect against the Bundibugyo strain. If successful, the trial could mark a turning point in the global response to this variant of the virus.
Point of View
Cross-border mobility as an accelerant, and healthcare infrastructure that cannot absorb the caseload. What is different this time is the Oxford vaccine trial — a genuine scientific first — but clinical timelines mean it will not influence the current trajectory. The government's 50-million-dollar disbursement is meaningful, but without a credible containment of cross-border movement and mining-community transmission chains, the case curve will keep climbing. The humanitarian crisis framing by the Prime Minister is accurate but risks obscuring the operational failures that allowed the outbreak to reach five provinces in just over two months.
NationPress
27 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Ebola cases and deaths have been confirmed in DR Congo?
As of 27 July 2025, DR Congo has recorded 3,200 confirmed Ebola cases and 1,405 deaths, with 571 recoveries and 773 patients currently in isolation. The outbreak was declared on 15 May 2025.
What is the Bundibugyo ebolavirus and why does it matter?
The Bundibugyo ebolavirus is a distinct strain of the Ebola virus first identified in Uganda in 2007. It is responsible for the current DR Congo outbreak and, critically, there is no approved vaccine or licensed treatment specifically targeting this strain — making containment more difficult than for better-studied Ebola variants.
Which province is the epicentre of the DR Congo Ebola outbreak?
Ituri Province in northeastern DR Congo is the epicentre, accounting for 89% of all confirmed cases. The outbreak has since spread to five provinces in total, driven by population movements, insecurity, artisanal mining, and cross-border travel with Uganda and South Sudan.
What is the Oxford University Ebola vaccine trial?
The University of Oxford announced on Friday that the first volunteer has been vaccinated in the world's first human clinical trial of ChAdOx1 BDBV, a vaccine designed specifically to protect against the Bundibugyo ebolavirus. Several other experimental vaccines and therapeutics are also undergoing clinical evaluation.
How much has the DR Congo government spent on the Ebola response?
Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka confirmed that the government has disbursed 50 million US dollars for the Ebola response, in addition to funds mobilised by international partners. She made the announcement during a visit to Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province, on Friday.
