The Democratic Republic of the Congo recorded 92 new confirmed Ebola virus disease cases and 33 deaths in a single day, driving total infections past 6,000. Health officials are now deploying mobile-phone movement data and launching a clinical trial for vaccine candidates to stem the second-largest outbreak in global history.
The relentless spread of the country’s 17th Ebola outbreak shows no signs of slowing. According to a Ministry of Health publication, the latest 24-hour reporting cycle brought 92 new confirmed cases and 33 deaths, including 24 fatalities occurring within communities rather than medical facilities. The cumulative toll in the Democratic Republic of the Congo reached 6,342 confirmed cases and 3,072 deaths by September 2, 2026.
Unlike previous epidemics driven by the Zaire strain, this outbreak stems from the Bundibugyo virus species. For this specific strain, responders face a stark clinical hurdle: no licensed vaccines or targeted treatments have yet been approved for human use. That therapeutic gap has fueled what the World Health Organization calls the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record.
Ituri Province Epicenter and Regional Projections
Ituri province remains the hardest-hit zone by a wide margin. The northeastern region accounts for 81.4% of all confirmed cases nationwide across 28 of its 36 health zones. Across the six affected provinces, 60 out of 151 health zones have now reported infections, with North Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo, South Kivu, and Bas-Uélé also managing active transmission chains.
To anticipate where the virus might strike next, responders have turned to an innovative epidemiological tool. Researchers from the Swedish non-profit Flowminder are analyzing anonymized mobile-phone records provided free of charge by Vodacom, the country’s largest telecom operator. By tracking how cellular devices connect to different network antennas, analysts map trade and mining-related population movements to identify distant cities linked to infection hotspots.
This mobility tracking successfully predicted risks in transport hubs before local cases emerged. The fact that Kisangani was at risk was not a huge surprise, even if it was not bordering the affected areas
, Le Polain explained. By mid-June, the data showed the risk was significant and that the outbreak could spread there faster than we initially thought. We strengthened operations there before the first cases were detected.
Emergency Committee Response and Vaccine Trials
The international response escalated further when the World Health Organization convened its second International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on August 18. Following the committee’s advice, the agency’s leadership agreed that the epidemic remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, issuing updated temporary recommendations for international travel and trade.
Simultaneously, vaccination efforts are expanding. While Ervebo is licensed and proven effective against the Zaire strain, its protection against the Bundibugyo virus remains unproven in humans.
To address this uncertainty, a clinical trial of the vaccine is being started alongside wider use to provide new evidence and inform future use of the vaccine. The vaccine is being administered to health care workers in some areas, including in Kisangani.
Cross-Border Containment and Surveillance Gaps
While international exportations to countries like France, Germany, and Uganda have been managed—with Uganda completing its 42-day enhanced monitoring period—the threat of cross-border spread persists.
Yet local surveillance faces persistent operational obstacles. Response teams continue active case-finding across the six impacted provinces.
