First vaccine test begins for a lesser-known Ebola strain as deaths in Congo exceed 1,300

Scientists at Oxford gave the first dose of a new Ebola vaccine to a volunteer on July 24, 2026. The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo — caused by a strain that has no approved vaccine or treatment — has killed 1,309 people out of 2,973 confirmed cases, up 40 percent in five days. A ready vaccine is still months away.