Ebola Outbreak Death Toll Climbs Above 930

A doctor at an Ebola treatment center in Bunia, Congo, on July 13, 2026. Benediction Murhabazi/AFP via Getty ImagesThe death toll in the Ebola outbreak in Africa climbed above 930, authorities said on July 20.Congolese officials said that the number of confirmed deaths hit 930. Authorities in Uganda, which borders Congo and has not recorded any new cases for weeks, previously confirmed two deaths.Congolese authorities had reported 893 deaths and 2,267 cases in their previous update.The case fatality rate, or percent of sick patients who have died, is about 40 percent in Congo, where 2,344 cases have now been logged through July 18, Congo’s government said on Monday.The number of Ebola patients currently isolated or hospitalized stands at 724, and 466 people have recovered.“Ituri remains the epicenter of the epidemic and continues to strengthen its response,” Congo’s Ministry of Health said in a statement.“Surveillance and contact tracing systems remain fully mobilized, with 83 new confirmed cases at the national level. Case management capacities continue to be bolstered with 22 new recoveries, while South Kivu and Tshopo remain stable, with no new affected health zones.”Congo is a central African country with a population of about 124 million people.Ebola is a disease caused by orthoebolaviruses. Symptoms include fever, severe headache, vomiting, and widespread bleeding.The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo ebolavirus, which has historically had a lower case fatality rate than the more common Zaire and Sudan ebolaviruses.There are no approved vaccines or treatments against the Bundibugyo virus. A clinical trial testing several treatments started in Congo earlier in July.Two Americans have tested positive for Ebola in Congo and were flown to Germany for treatment. Others are being quarantined in Kenya due to possible exposure.U.S. authorities have urged Americans to avoid Congo, Uganda, and nearby South Sudan because of Ebola, and recently started preventing Americans from directly returning from Congo.The United States previously barred foreigners from entering the United States within 21 days of being in Congo, South Sudan, or Uganda.Canadian officials said on July 19 that they are temporarily barring foreigners from entering Canada until at least three weeks have passed since their last visit to Congo.“Limiting entry of foreign nationals who have been in the [Congo] in the previous 21 days may reduce public health risks for Canadians and is intended to increase the effectiveness and sustainability of border measures that can safely process travelers arriving in Canada, including our returning humanitarian workers,” the Public Health Agency of Canada said in a statement.“There is no change for Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and persons registered under the Indian Act entering Canada who have been in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within the previous 21 days.”