The Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak has crossed the 1,000-case mark, making it officially the second-largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded. Congo's Ministry of Health confirmed Sunday, June 22, 2026, that 1,003 people have been confirmed infected and 254 have died since the outbreak was declared on May 15 — a span of just 38 days. At least 365 patients remain in hospitals or in isolation. Only the 2014–2016 West Africa outbreak, which killed more than 11,000 people across multiple countries, was larger.
The CDC confirmed Sunday the same milestone: "As of June 22, DRC has confirmed more than 1,000 cases, making this Ebola outbreak the second largest on record. This is the 17th outbreak of Ebola in DRC; the number of cases has risen faster for this outbreak than any other Ebola outbreak to date."
