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3h ago

DRC Ebola Outbreak Tops 11,000 Cases With Transmission Still Uncontrolled

Conflict-driven access problems together with poor surveillance prolong Ebola transmission, blocking effective trials.

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A Congolese worker wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) carries plastic containers outside the Ebola Treatment Center at the Bunia General Referral Hospital following a resurgence of Ebola involving the Bundibugyo strain, in Bunia, Ituri province, the Democratic Republic of Congo, November 2, 2026. REUTERS/Gradel Muyisa Mumbere/File Photo
A Congolese medical worker looks through a glass window of the isolation ward at the Ebola Treatment Center of the Kitatumba Reference Hospital, as aid agencies intensify efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain, in Kitatumba neighborhood and medical hub in Butembo, North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, October 28, 2026. REUTERS/Gradel Muyisa Mumbere
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Overview

  • The DRC reported 11,042 confirmed Ebola cases and 5,387 deaths, numbers released by the health ministry on Wednesday that underline the scale of the outbreak.
  • Kenya discharged its last Ebola patient and began a 42-day countdown to be declared disease-free, while instituting a 21-day quarantine for arrivals from the DRC.
  • Médecins Sans Frontières said on Thursday that many cases are likely being missed, that hospital and community transmission remain common, and that response teams lack fuel, supplies and paid staff in conflict zones.
  • The International Organization for Migration reported 71 cases detected on transit routes with 95% found on informal paths that bypass checkpoints, and warned regional surveillance is underfunded by roughly $60 million.
  • The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo Ebola species for which no licensed vaccine or approved treatment exists, and WHO‑sanctioned trials of candidate vaccines are under way but large-scale protection is not yet available.