The Democratic Republic of Congo is grappling with the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak ever recorded, with 3,360 confirmed cases and 1,487 deaths reported across five provinces in the country's east. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, was officially declared on 15 May and has spread more rapidly than any of the DRC's 16 previous Ebola outbreaks. The overall case fatality rate stands at approximately 45%, according to Congolese health officials, and the figures are now approaching those of the country's worst previous outbreak, which infected 3,470 people between 2018 and 2020.

Between 100 and 150 new confirmed infections are being recorded each week, with the Bunia and Rwampara health zones among the hardest-hit areas. Ituri province — a densely populated region in northeastern DRC with a long history of armed conflict and artisanal mining — has been identified as a particular flashpoint.