More than 5,000 die from Ebola in DR Congo's deadliest outbreak
News Source
β’Sat, 31 Oct 2026 15:16:20 GMT
π° What Happened
More than 5,000 people have died in an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, government data shows. It is the country's deadliest outbreak ever.
The outbreak began in May. Eight of the country's 26 provinces now have cases, with more than 10,300 confirmed. Nearly half of those infected have died.
The centre of the outbreak is Ituri province in the north-east, a conflict zone that is hard for health teams to reach. Cases have also been confirmed in Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda.
π The Backstory
This is Congo's 17th Ebola outbreak and the second largest ever recorded. The virus here is the Bundibugyo type, and there is no approved vaccine or treatment for it. Trials are under way.
The country's worst earlier outbreak, from 2018 to 2020, killed 2,299 people. The biggest in history was in West Africa from 2014 to 2016, with more than 11,325 deaths.
Responders face attacks. This week a nurse was killed and another health worker was badly hurt. The WHO says outreach and access to affected areas must grow to stop the spread.
π― Why It Matters
Ebola spreads fast through contact with sick people. Stopping it needs trust, safe burials and working clinics, and every delay puts more people at risk.
More than 5,000 people have died in an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, government data shows. It is the country's deadliest outbreak ever.
The outbreak began in May. Eight of the country's 26 provinces now have cases, with more than 10,300 confirmed. Nearly half of those infected have died.
The centre of the outbreak is Ituri province in the north-east, a conflict zone that is hard for health teams to reach. Cases have also been confirmed in Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda.
This is Congo's 17th Ebola outbreak and the second largest ever recorded. The virus here is the Bundibugyo type, and there is no approved vaccine or treatment for it. Trials are under way.
The country's worst earlier outbreak, from 2018 to 2020, killed 2,299 people. The biggest in history was in West Africa from 2014 to 2016, with more than 11,325 deaths.
Responders face attacks. This week a nurse was killed and another health worker was badly hurt. The WHO says outreach and access to affected areas must grow to stop the spread.
Ebola spreads fast through contact with sick people. Stopping it needs trust, safe burials and working clinics, and every delay puts more people at risk.