Health officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo are struggling to contain an escalating Ebola outbreak because they have lost track of how the virus is actually spreading. More than 80% of new cases cannot be traced back to a known contact, a red flag suggesting the true scale of transmission is far larger than confirmed figures show. This matters because without reliable contact tracing – the standard tool for controlling Ebola – responders are effectively fighting blind, unable to predict where the virus will surface next or bring the outbreak under control.

As of late July 2026, the outbreak has caused nearly 1,000 deaths and more than 2,400 confirmed cases, with daily case numbers showing no sign of slowing. Officials say the gaps stem from a combination of factors: the affected region has a highly mobile population and ongoing conflict, roughly two-thirds of deaths occur outside the formal health system and so go unrecorded, and deep community distrust of medical institutions leads many people to turn to traditional healers or avoid clinics altogether. One infectious disease physician described current data as showing only "the tip of the iceberg," with rebuilding community trust and expanding access to experimental treatments seen as key to getting the outbreak under control.