KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of the Congo / AfricaWire.IO / – Nearly 4,900 people have died in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Ebola outbreak as confirmed cases passed 10,000, official figures showed on Tuesday. Ministry of Health data put the number of confirmed cases at 10,060, with nearly half of those infected having died. The outbreak is the fastest-growing in the history of the disease. It is also the deadliest Ebola outbreak recorded in the country.
According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 4,887 deaths had been recorded as of October 26, based on data up to October 25. The agency said community transmission is ongoing in eight provinces, including Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu. The outbreak has also reached Tshopo, Haut-Uélé, Bas-Uélé, Sud-Ubangi and Nord-Ubangi. It is caused by Bundibugyo virus and began in May 2026.
Cases have risen sharply in recent weeks. The country had recorded 9,765 cases and 4,727 deaths when WHO officials updated the figures last week. Congolese authorities first declared the outbreak on May 15 in the country’s north-east, when 65 deaths had already been recorded. By September, more than 6,000 cases and 3,000 deaths had been confirmed, and the toll has continued to climb.
Kenya reports second death
Kenya has confirmed 9 Ebola cases, all linked to its first patient, the ECDC said. The country recorded its second death on October 23, while its most recent case was reported on October 20. In Nigeria, a case was reported on October 20 in a traveller who had visited Uganda. That patient was medically evacuated to Switzerland for treatment.
Uganda reported cases earlier in the outbreak but has since ended its own outbreak. In Europe, four cases have been imported or medically evacuated since May, all involving health or humanitarian workers who had been in affected parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Germany received two evacuated patients and the Netherlands one. France reported one case in July.
Response teams expand contact tracing
WHO says around 30,000 contacts are monitored every day over a three-week period, matching the maximum incubation period of the disease. About 2,600 people in the country have survived Ebola, according to Dr. Catherine Smallwood, WHO’s incident manager in the country. A vaccination campaign using the Ervebo vaccine began in Kisangani in August under a compassionate-use framework. Frontline workers and contacts of confirmed cases were prioritised.
WHO has urged greater funding along with medical and logistical support for the response. It has also called for faster detection, particularly in areas affected by conflict, displacement and food insecurity. Neighbouring countries have been asked to strengthen border screening, though WHO advises against travel or trade restrictions. The ECDC rates the risk for people living in the European Union as very low, and as low for those travelling to affected areas.