Congo's Ebola Cases Surpass 10,000 as Outbreak Spreads

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has now recorded 10,060 confirmed Ebola infections in an outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus, according to government data released on Tuesday. The outbreak is the fastest growing on record, and almost half of the 10,060 confirmed cases have died, Congo's Ministry of Health said. The World Health Organization's most recent published count put deaths at 4,687 as of October 20. It is also the deadliest outbreak in the country's history.

The outbreak was declared in May and has spread to eight provinces, with Ituri remaining the epicentre. It now spans 66 health zones across eight provinces, an expansion from the three zones reported when the outbreak was declared in May. There is no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo strain. The WHO advises supportive care and swift identification of cases to reduce deaths. The WHO has told countries not to impose travel or trade restrictions on affected areas.

Imported cases have been reported in Kenya and Nigeria. Kenya recorded an imported case in early October in a patient whose route from the DRC passed through Uganda, and Nigeria confirmed an imported case on October 20. Both patients passed through Uganda's Entebbe International Airport on October 3, according to Wessam Mankoula, who leads emergency preparedness and response at the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Officials have not determined if the two crossed paths or if any infection was passed at the airport.

Nigeria's health minister, Muhammad Ali Pate, said the Abuja case involved a woman who had recently travelled to East Africa, including Uganda. Pate said: "Today we are confirming that there has been one imported case of Ebola virus disease in the Federal Capital Territory." She developed symptoms on October 7 and was isolated after laboratory testing confirmed Ebola; 44 contacts were identified. But accounts of her travel differ. Uganda's health ministry said preliminary findings indicated she travelled to eastern DRC for business, while Switzerland's Federal Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement to Reuters that she and her husband did not travel to the DRC. The WHO and Africa CDC said they had not received confirmed information establishing DRC travel.

In Kenya, the first confirmed Ebola patient died in Nairobi on October 5 after travelling from the DRC through Uganda. Additional infections linked to that case have since been reported. Kenya's health authorities are trying to locate a Ugandan man who was listed as a contact of the deceased patient. "We know him (the Ugandan) by name and passport number and from his phone but we are not able to reach him," Patrick Amoth, the director-general for health, told the Daily Nation. Not being traced does not mean the man is infected.

Response teams have faced violence and strikes. Last week, youths carrying machetes assaulted two community health workers who were raising awareness in eastern Congo; one died and the other was injured, officials and a memo obtained by Reuters said. In the Nia Nia health zone, Ebola responders walked off the job because bonuses due since late August had not been paid, the Associated Press reported. About 80% of recorded cases are coming from outside monitored contacts, while at least 95% should be from known contacts for officials to say the outbreak is largely under control, according to the Africa CDC. At least half of deaths recorded are among people not admitted to treatment centres.

The conflicting travel accounts do not establish where the Nigerian woman was exposed, and Uganda's declaration of no active cases does not prove that all infections have been ruled out. The Africa CDC plans to hold a special virtual meeting of national health officials on October 28.

Update, October 27, 2026

The Democratic Republic of the Congo's Ministry of Health now reports 4,887 deaths from the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak as of October 25, according to Udaipur Kiran. With 10,060 confirmed cases, the case fatality rate is about 48.6%.

Update, October 29, 2026

China Daily reported that a Phase 2/3 Ebola vaccine trial has opened in Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province, and the first injections were given on Friday. The Tumaini trial will evaluate whether candidate vaccines are safe, produce immune responses, and work against the Bundibugyo virus, with vaccination targeted at people exposed to confirmed cases. The first candidate in the trial is Ervebo, already licensed against the Zaire Ebola virus; whether it protects against Bundibugyo is not established. Two more candidates designed for Bundibugyo, from Moderna and from Oxford University with the Serum Institute of India, are expected to be added.

The same report gives updated pediatric figures. WHO and Africa CDC data show 2,705 confirmed cases in children aged 17 or younger, including 1,345 below age 5. Save the Children put the death rate for under-fives at 72%, and said more than 1,900 children have lost one or both parents or been separated from caregivers.

Update, October 30, 2026

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control now counts 10,141 confirmed Ebola cases and 4,928 deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as of Oct. 27, AOL reported on Thursday. The outbreak has spread to Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda and France, according to AOL. The World Health Organization is reporting 50 to 80 new confirmed cases every day and called the situation "very dire". Africa CDC Director General Dr. Jean Kaseya said the geographic extension is unprecedented and urged other continents to prepare. "We want all countries to know that they are not safe if they don't take appropriate measures," he said, according to AOL. He compared the outbreak to COVID-19, saying many countries initially believed there was no risk before becoming hotspots.

Update, November 2, 2026

The Democratic Republic of the Congo's public health institute now reports the Ebola death toll has surpassed 5,000, according to a CBC News report Monday. Confirmed cases have surpassed 10,000 this week. Africa CDC Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya told CBC News from Addis Ababa: "No one is safe today," and warned of "massive" spread into additional countries or other continents without more support. He urged Canada and other Western countries to increase support, saying the outbreak could surpass the 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic if it continues at the current magnitude. The report does not state whether any cases have been identified in the United States.