KINSHASA / RankWire.AI / – The Democratic Republic of the Congo has recorded 8,067 confirmed Ebola cases since its latest outbreak began. The death toll reached 3,901 as of September 26, giving the outbreak a case fatality rate of about 48%. Congolese health authorities have reported cases across 63 health zones in seven of the country’s 26 provinces. The outbreak is now the largest and deadliest Ebola epidemic recorded in the country.
The government declared the outbreak on May 15 after identifying Bundibugyo virus as the cause. It is the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s 17th recorded Ebola outbreak. Bundibugyo virus is one of the Ebola virus species known to cause severe disease in humans. The World Health Organization says no licensed vaccine or approved treatment specifically targets Bundibugyo virus disease.
Ituri remains the main center of the outbreak, although infections have reached several other parts of the country. Affected provinces include Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Tshopo, Haut Uele, Bas Uele and Sud Ubangi. WHO data showed that Ituri had reported cases in 28 of its 36 health zones by September 23. North Kivu had recorded cases across 16 of its 34 health zones.
Cases decline but transmission remains high
New infections and deaths have declined in recent reporting periods, according to the World Health Organization. The agency said incident cases fell 20.3% across the two most recent 14 day periods. Deaths declined 24.2% over the same comparison. However, transmission remained elevated in parts of Ituri, including areas where health officials continued to record worsening local trends.
Authorities had recorded 2,070 recoveries by September 26 as health teams continued surveillance and treatment efforts. Officials also continued contact tracing, laboratory testing, infection prevention and community outreach across affected areas. Health authorities have faced delays in detecting cases and getting some patients into treatment quickly. Community deaths have remained a major concern because they can indicate that infected people did not reach care early enough.
Outbreak surpasses previous Congo Ebola record
The 2026 epidemic has surpassed the scale of the country’s 2018 to 2020 Ebola outbreak. That earlier emergency recorded 3,481 cases and 2,299 deaths in its final totals. The current outbreak is also the second largest Ebola epidemic documented globally. The 2014 to 2016 West Africa epidemic remains the largest, with more than 28,600 infections and more than 11,300 deaths.
Health officials continue to monitor the outbreak’s geographic spread because several affected provinces lie near international borders. Dungu health zone in Haut Uele borders South Sudan, while Sud Ubangi borders the Central African Republic and the Republic of the Congo. Response teams continue to focus on early detection, patient care and infection control. The latest national figures show that Ebola transmission continues despite the recent decline in reported cases and deaths.
