Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda
Should I be worried? · Pathogen library: ebola bundibugyo virus · Congo - Kinshasa · Uganda
| Official | Media, unverified | Reported this week | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deaths | — | 5,509 8,252 highest in the last 7 days | +25 Media, unverified |
| Confirmed cases | — | 3,223 8,892 highest in the last 7 days | +4 Media, unverified |
| Contacts under observation | — | 56 | — |
WHO describes this as a large, expanding outbreak of Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus, centered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with documented cross-border spread to Uganda and an exported case to France earlier in the event. The latest WHO Disease Outbreak News reviewed here is still the clearest official baseline: as of 2026-09-23, DRC had reported 7,890 confirmed cases and 3,799 deaths across 63 health zones in seven provinces, with high transmission still concentrated in Ituri and North Kivu. WHO had earlier reported Uganda at 20 confirmed cases and two deaths, plus one probable death, as of 2026-07-02. What is contested is the current size and geography beyond that official baseline. Media reports from 2026-10-05 and 2026-10-06, citing officials or WHO/CDC in secondary reporting, describe higher DRC totals ranging roughly from 8,463 to 8,603 confirmed cases and 4,082 to 4,148 deaths, and they add a new imported fatal case in Kenya. Those updates are important, but in this dossier they remain separate from the official WHO figures because the underlying official documents were not retrieved in this session. What to watch next: whether WHO publishes a fresh update confirming the higher DRC totals; whether Uganda has had any official change since July; whether the reported Kenya case is formally incorporated into WHO reporting; and whether spread in North Kivu, Haut-Uélé, and new border-risk areas such as Sud Ubangi continues.
Situation as of 7 Oct 2026
Official
WHO’s latest official update reviewed in this session is for 2026-09-23 in the DRC: 7,890 confirmed cases and 3,799 deaths, with 63 affected health zones across seven provinces. WHO also reports that 48 health zones in six provinces had at least one case in the prior 21 days, showing broad ongoing transmission. For Uganda, the latest WHO update retrieved here is older: as of 2026-07-02, Uganda had reported 20 confirmed cases, two deaths, and one probable death, with no new cases after 2026-06-21 in that report.
Media, unverified
Recent media and unverified items go beyond the latest WHO baseline. Reports on 2026-10-05 and 2026-10-06 cite DRC totals in the range of 8,463 to 8,603 confirmed cases and 4,082 to 4,148 deaths, and multiple outlets report an imported fatal case in Kenya with 27 to 28 contacts under follow-up. Some local reporting also claims additional recent deaths in Ituri.
Control measures
WHO reports extensive response measures in DRC and Uganda, including surveillance, testing, case finding, contact tracing and follow-up, infection prevention and control, and a regional preparedness framework. As of 2026-09-23, WHO said 32,342 contacts required follow-up in DRC and 26,980 were seen in the previous 24 hours. Media reports quoting Kenyan authorities say surveillance was intensified after the imported fatal case and 27 to 28 contacts were being monitored.
Timeline
- · WHO reported cross-border spread: DRC had 515 confirmed cases with 91 deaths, while Uganda had 19 confirmed cases including two deaths and one probable death.
- · WHO reported 1,460 confirmed cases and 452 deaths in DRC, 20 confirmed cases and two deaths in Uganda, and one laboratory-confirmed exported case in France linked to DRC.
- · WHO described the Bundibugyo outbreak as the largest Ebola outbreak ever reported in DRC and said it had expanded to 54 health zones across six provinces.
- · WHO reported 6,757 confirmed cases and 3,267 deaths in DRC, with spread to 61 health zones across six provinces.
- · WHO reported further expansion to 63 health zones across seven provinces in DRC, including new affected zones in Sud Ubangi and Haut-Uélé, with 7,890 confirmed cases and 3,799 deaths as of 2026-09-23.
- · Media reports said Kenya confirmed an imported Ebola case linked to the regional outbreak; the patient died and 27 to 28 contacts were being followed.
Latest reports
- · Actualite.cd · Media, unverified
DRC: Ebola leaves more than 1,900 children orphaned or separated from their parents - · journa.host · Social post, not counted
MSF warns Ebola spread in DR Congo's North Kivu province is 'out of control' http://www.africanews.com/2026/10/07/msf… - · Actualite.cd · Media, unverified
Ebola: After imported case in Kenya, Nigeria increases surveillance and warns travelers - · Bluesky · Social post, not counted
DR Congo - Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease outbreak Affected provinces: Ituri, North Kivu,South Kivu, Tshopo and Haut-Uélé (as of 04 october… - · Premium Times · Media, unverified
Ebola: NCDC warns of importation risk after Kenya confirms first case - · Radio Okapi · Media, unverified
Outrage among opinion leaders after forced removal of two Ebola victims' bodies at Bunia Ebola Treatment Center - · Bluesky · Social post, not counted
The Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is robbing children of their loved ones – with some succumbing to… - · Bluesky · Social post, not counted
Kenya has confirmed its first imported Ebola case, in a traveler who fell ill in the Democratic Republic of Congo, traveled through Uganda… - · Bluesky · Social post, not counted
Phylogenetic analysis of the 2025 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42834057/ - · businesstoday.co.ke · Media, unverified
Duale: No Ebola Outbreak in Kenya - · BNO News · Media, unverified
Kenya confirms 1st case linked to regional Ebola outbreak; patient dies in Nairobi - · Premium Times · Media, unverified
Kenya confirms first imported Ebola case linked to DRC outbreak