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 | 4,562 as of 19 Oct 2026 | 5,752 13,151 highest in the last 7 days | +233 Official · +145 Media, unverified |
| Confirmed cases | 9,463 as of 19 Oct 2026 | 12,042 18,803 highest in the last 7 days | +463 Official · +1,035 Media, unverified |
| Suspected cases | — | 429 261 highest in the last 7 days | +1 Media, unverified |
| Contacts under observation | 128 as of 17 Oct 2026 | 1,167 310 highest in the last 7 days | — |
| Hospitalised | — | 1,831 3,262 highest in the last 7 days | — |
WHO’s latest directly accessed public update in this session, published on 2026-10-08, describes a large Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with 8728 confirmed cases and 4205 confirmed deaths as of 2026-10-06, across 64 health zones in seven provinces. WHO also reported a laboratory-confirmed imported case in Kenya linked to travel from DRC through Uganda; the patient died on 2026-10-05. An earlier WHO update reported 20 confirmed cases and two deaths in Uganda as of 2026-07-02, epidemiologically linked to transmission from DRC. The main uncertainty is recency. From 2026-10-16 to 2026-10-19, media and state-wire reports citing named ministries or health authorities reported substantially higher totals, including roughly 9066 to 9415 confirmed cases and 4381 to 4536 deaths, possible spread to an eighth DRC province, and additional Kenya cases. Those figures may reflect newer official briefings, but they were not matched in this session by a directly accessed WHO or national ministry bulletin, so they should be treated separately from the public WHO baseline. What to watch: confirmation of the newer DRC totals, whether North Ubangi is officially confirmed as a new affected province, whether Uganda’s official total has changed since July, and whether Kenya’s cases remain imported-linked or indicate sustained onward transmission.
Situation as of 19 Oct 2026
Official
WHO’s latest public outbreak update accessed here (2026-10-08) reports 8728 confirmed cases and 4205 confirmed deaths in DRC as of 2026-10-06, with cases in 64 health zones across seven provinces: Bas-Uélé, Haut-Uélé, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Sud Ubangi and Tshopo. WHO said transmission remained intense nationally but uneven, with some areas slowing and others still growing. WHO also reported a laboratory-confirmed imported case in Kenya linked to travel from DRC through Uganda; public health response measures including contact tracing were initiated in Kenya and Uganda. The most recent WHO Uganda count seen in this session is older: 20 confirmed cases, two deaths, and one probable death as of 2026-07-02.
Media, unverified
From 2026-10-16 to 2026-10-19, unverified/media/state-wire reports citing named health ministries or other authorities described a faster-moving situation: DRC or DRC-plus-Uganda totals ranging from 9066 to 9415 confirmed cases and 4381 to 4536 deaths; possible spread to North Ubangi as an eighth affected province; and Kenya totals rising from 3 to 8 confirmed cases. One state-wire report said Kenya had seven cases by 2026-10-17.
Control measures
WHO reported contact tracing in Kenya and Uganda after the imported Kenyan case. In DRC, WHO said contact follow-up remained below target in the latest reporting period, reaching 80.4% of listed contacts as of 2026-10-04. Local reports also described 30-day suspension of clinical internships in Kisangani, and media/local reporting described vaccination of frontline workers with Ervebo in Beni, though WHO’s Ebola fact sheet states no approved vaccine exists for Bundibugyo virus disease.
Timeline
- · WHO reported sustained cross-border Bundibugyo virus transmission: DRC had 1460 confirmed cases and 452 deaths as of 2026-07-01, and Uganda had 20 confirmed cases, two deaths, and one probable death as of 2026-07-02.
- · WHO said the DRC outbreak was in a phase of intense transmission, had become the largest Ebola outbreak ever reported in the country, and had expanded to 54 health zones across six provinces.
- · WHO reported further expansion to 63 affected health zones across seven provinces, including spread to Sud Ubangi and Dungu in Haut-Uélé.
- · WHO reported 8728 confirmed cases and 4205 confirmed deaths in DRC as of 2026-10-06, plus a laboratory-confirmed imported case in Kenya linked to travel from DRC through Uganda.
- · Later media reports citing named authorities said the outbreak may have spread to North Ubangi as an eighth DRC province, and reported higher totals than WHO’s 2026-10-08 public bulletin.
- · A media report citing named ministries said Kenya had eight confirmed cases while DRC had 9400 confirmed cases and 4500 deaths; these figures remain separate from the directly accessed WHO count in this dossier.
Latest reports
- · arabnews.com · Media, unverified
Millions of dollars are unaccounted for in Ebola response, officials say. This is what we know. - · standardmedia.co.ke · Media, unverified
Experts warn of high risks for frontline healthcare workers - · social.i47i.cc · Media, unverified
Kenya has an eighth Ebola case. - · radiookapi.net · Media, unverified
Ebola: Nord-Ubangi becomes 8th province affected by the epidemic in DRC - · surenio.com.ar · Media, unverified
Alarm in Congo: Ebola outbreak spreads to eight provinces and has already left more than 4,500 dead - · lanueva.com · Media, unverified
Alarm in Congo: the Ebola outbreak has spread to eight provinces and has already left more than 4,500 dead - · TASS (EN) · Official
Ebola death toll in DR Congo surpasses 4,500 — Health Ministry - · actualite.cd · Media, unverified
Ebola in North Kivu: authorities tighten restrictions and suspend several activities in the province - · who-africa.africa-newsroom.com · Media, unverified
WHO Regional Office for Africa / Press release | World Health Organization ( WHO ) deploys Preparedness Data Exchange ( PDX ) preparedness intelligence platform in the Democratic Republic of the Congo - · theguardian.com · Media, unverified
Third Ebola case in Kenya highlights US failures amid Trump cuts to key services - · riotimesonline.com · Media, unverified
DR Congo Continent Role : Weight , Blocs , Alliances - · riotimesonline.com · Media, unverified
SolFest 2026 Runs 17 to 19 December in Nairobi