Health

Ebola cases in DR Congo pass 10,000 as WHO calls for sustained response

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Editor's note: This updates our earlier reports on the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo (27 October) and in Kenya (28 October) with the latest official case count.

Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have passed 10,000, the World Health Organization said, with Congolese Ministry of Health data showing 10,141 cases and nearly 5,000 deaths as of Monday, 26 October 2026, according to UN News.

Ebola cases: An Ebola treatment centre inside a compound in eastern DR Congo
An Ebola treatment centre inside a compound in eastern DR Congo Photo: © WHO via UN News (editorial use with credit).

WHO on Ebola cases and the response

“Sustained efforts are essential to end the outbreak,” WHO said. It called for continued scale-up of key control measures, greater access to affected areas and community outreach that builds trust. The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, for which there is no approved vaccine or treatment. It is the 17th Ebola outbreak in the country’s history and the largest to date, and the second largest in the world after the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak. It began in the conflict-hit east and has spread to eight provinces, including hard-to-reach areas. WHO and partners are helping Congolese authorities curb transmission. The outbreak has unfolded amid conflict, hunger and widespread displacement.

Key Facts

  • DR Congo: 10,141 cases, nearly 5,000 deaths (as of 26 Oct)
  • Recovered: more than 2,600
  • Virus: Bundibugyo (no approved vaccine)
  • Spread: eight provinces
  • Kenya: nine cases, two deaths

“Sustained efforts are essential to end the outbreak.”

— World Health Organization

Bundibugyo vaccine trial in DR Congo

WHO said “progress is being made”: more than 2,600 people have recovered, and testing and treatment capacity has expanded. The TUMAINI trials, Swahili for “hope”, will first test whether the Ervebo vaccine, developed against the Zaire strain of Ebola, can protect people in the current outbreak. It is being given through ring vaccination, which targets close contacts of confirmed patients. WHO’s technical lead for vaccine trials said the same approach was used in Guinea during the West Africa outbreak. WHO expert groups have also assessed two vaccines designed specifically against Bundibugyo, with findings expected this week. The TUMAINI trial was launched in Bunia on Friday, according to UN News. “Today, scientists are building on that experience to seek answers about Bundibugyo virus,” the WHO official said.

Kenya cases and new funding

A UN humanitarian fund has allocated more than $2 million to support Ebola preparedness and response in Kenya, including surveillance at border crossings and training for rapid response teams, UN News said. Kenya has recorded nine Ebola cases, including two deaths, all linked to its first case: a Kenyan man working in DR Congo who flew to Nairobi via Uganda on 3 October and died two days later. More than 130 contacts were placed in quarantine, and 20 have since been released after completing the mandatory 21-day monitoring period. The funding will enable aid partners to support government-led efforts, UN News said. Resources will also strengthen preparedness along high-risk refugee and travel routes in Kenya’s northwest. The 20 people released have been reunited with their families.

Why It Matters: The outbreak is already the second largest on record and has reached Kenya, so its spread matters for travel and health screening well beyond Africa.

Also on TrendDesh: Ebola in Kenya: 20 contacts freed from quarantine as DR Congo starts vaccine trial · Ebola in DR Congo: UN and WHO condemn killing of a nurse responding to an alert in Tshopo

Source: UN News: Ebola cases top 10,000 · UN News: Ebola contacts released in Kenya · WHO Disease Outbreak News

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