On 2026-09-02, the World Health Organization said efficacy trials for three potential vaccines against the Bundibugyo Ebola strain that has killed thousands in the Democratic Republic of Congo should begin in October or November 2026. ^[1] The official death toll from the Democratic Republic of Congo's deadliest-ever Ebola outbreak surpassed 3,000 people on 2026-09-02, with more than 6,000 infected. ^[2] The Congolese National Institute of Public Health reported on Wednesday that 6,186 confirmed cases of Ebola have been recorded with 3,007 deaths, resulting in a fatality rate of 48.6%. ^[3] A batch of 16,250 doses of Ervebo for frontline medical personnel arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo in July 2026, and vaccination began shortly afterward in Kisangani, capital of Tshopo province; the WHO advised in recommendations published on 2026-09-01 that Ervebo should be used against Bundibugyo only as part of a clinical trial. ^[4] The Democratic Republic of Congo declared its 17th Ebola outbreak on 2026-05-15, and the World Health Organization believes the virus had been spreading undetected since late January 2026, leaving responders playing catch-up in the country's restive east. ^[5] The World Health Organisation declared the Ebola outbreak on May 15 in the remote north-eastern province of Ituri. ^[6]