DRC Ebola Outbreak Death Toll Exceeds 5,000
The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s 2026 Ebola outbreak has recorded 5,026 deaths among 10,351 infected people, according to Ministry of Health figures reported by the Associated Press on 31 October 2026. The figures put the reported death toll above 5,000 in the outbreak caused by Bundibugyo virus.
The World Health Organization classifies Bundibugyo virus disease as a severe form of Ebola disease. According to the agency, transmission between people occurs through direct contact with blood or other bodily fluids from an infected person, or through contact with contaminated materials. In its update dated 23 October, WHO said there was neither an approved vaccine nor a specific treatment for the disease.
A separate count from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, dated 28 October, recorded 10,274 confirmed cases and 4,992 confirmed deaths in the DRC. The CDC said it had temporarily left suspected cases and deaths out of its figures while investigation and data standardization were pending. Probable cases were also outside the scope of its DRC count.
WHO’s figures for 20 October placed the outbreak across eight provinces, covering 66 health zones. At that point, the agency recorded 9,704 confirmed cases, of which 4,687 had resulted in death. It calculated the crude case-fatality ratio at 48.3%.
The outbreak declaration dates to 15 May 2026, according to WHO. In its 23 October account, the agency said no previously recorded Ebola disease outbreak in the DRC had been larger, irrespective of the virus species responsible. WHO also identified it as the country’s second documented outbreak involving Bundibugyo virus; the previous one occurred in 2012.
* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.