DRC Ebola outbreak tops 11,000 cases, death toll hits 5,358

The Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has claimed more than 5,300 lives and infected over 11,000 people, becoming the second-largest outbreak of the deadly disease ever recorded.

The outbreak is spreading faster than previous Ebola emergencies, with ongoing conflict, poor health facilities, population movements and cross-border travel making it harder for health authorities to stop further infections, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In a situation update released on November 11, 2026, the CDC reported that 11,021 confirmed cases and 5,358 deaths had been recorded across affected countries as of November 8.

The DRC accounts for the overwhelming majority of infections, with 10,990 confirmed cases and 5,354 deaths. The disease has spread across eight provinces: Bas-Uele, Haut-Uele, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, South Ubangi, North Ubangi and Tshopo.

The CDC said the outbreak had reached more than 1,000 confirmed cases within just 40 days of the response being activated, compared with approximately 235 days during the 2018 Ebola outbreak in the DRC.

"This outbreak is spreading substantially faster than previous Ebola outbreaks and is now the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record," the CDC said.

The current crisis is the 17th Ebola outbreak reported in the DRC and has extended beyond its borders, with confirmed infections also reported in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria and France.

Kenya had recorded nine confirmed cases and two deaths as of October 23, according to figures from the Ministry of Health cited by the CDC.

The country's first case was detected on October 6 after a man travelled from the DRC through Uganda to Nairobi, where he was admitted to hospital. He later died while receiving treatment in an isolation unit.

However, the CDC clarified that the man had not contracted the virus in Kenya. Other infections recorded afterwards, including a second death, involved family members and healthcare workers who had been in close contact with him.

Nigeria reported its first infection linked to the outbreak on October 20, with one confirmed case recorded in the country.

Uganda, meanwhile, had registered 20 confirmed cases and two deaths, in addition to one probable case and one probable death. The country has since reported no active infections after its last confirmed patient recovered and was discharged on July 16.

France also reported one imported case, with the patient recovering and being released from medical care on July 4.

Despite the progress made in some affected countries, the CDC warned that the wider response continues to face major challenges, particularly in areas experiencing insecurity and limited access to healthcare services.

The agency said continued fighting was exposing response teams to security threats while disrupting efforts to trace people who had come into contact with infected patients and enforce measures to prevent further infections.

"Violence against healthcare workers and shortages of personal protective equipment are leading to healthcare workers becoming infected while treating patients," the agency said.

The CDC also raised concerns over the movement of people across borders, warning that frequent travel and population displacement were increasing the chances of infections spreading to neighbouring countries, including Uganda, South Sudan and Rwanda.

Misinformation and limited public confidence in authorities have also made it difficult for health officials to communicate safety measures and secure cooperation from communities affected by the outbreak.

The outbreak was first identified on May 14, 2026, after laboratory tests detected the Bundibugyo virus in samples collected from patients in Ituri Province.

The DRC formally declared its 17th Ebola outbreak on May 15 after eight samples tested positive for the virus.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the first suspected infection involved a healthcare worker who developed symptoms on April 24 before dying at a medical facility in Bunia, Ituri Province.

The WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17, citing the speed at which infections were spreading and the danger of transmission across national borders.