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2h ago

Ebola Outbreak in DRC Tops 5,000 Deaths

Surveillance gaps that leave roughly 80% of new infections outside monitored contact chains have driven wider spread, triggering urgent AU and WHO calls for coordinated action.

Personal de la Cruz Roja de Kenia, provisto de equipo de protección individual (EPI), simula la evacuación de los restos de una víctima del ébola en Nairobi, la capital de Kenia, el 22 de octubre de 2026. (Tony KARUMBA / AFP)
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Overview

  • The DRC’s Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública reported 10,351 confirmed cases and 5,026 deaths in data through Oct. 29, a 48.6% case fatality rate.
  • The epidemic has spread from eastern provinces to 67 health zones across eight provinces, with Ituri and North Kivu among the worst affected.
  • Contact tracing covers 84.5% of known contacts but officials say about 80% of new infections arise outside those chains, slowing early detection and containment.
  • Medical response includes Ervebo vaccination campaigns started in late August and WHO-supported phase 1 trials of two candidate vaccines for the Bundibugyo strain, which currently has no strain-specific approved treatment.
  • Pressure on health services is severe, with 1,101 people hospitalized and 2,788 recoveries; the shortage of surveillance and treatment capacity raises the risk of cross-border spread and demands immediate reinforcement of case finding, safe burials, and local clinics.