Congo's Ebola death toll surpasses 5,000 as virus continues to spread
31.10.2026
More than 5,000 people have died from Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since the latest outbreak of the virus was detected in mid-May, according to the country's health authorities.
A total of 5,026 deaths have been confirmed, while the number of infections has risen to 10,351, the authorities said. Currently, 1,101 people are receiving treatment or undergoing quarantine. Another 2,788 people who previously contracted the disease have recovered.
The actual toll could be higher, as experts believe the virus may have been spreading undetected since at least February, several months before the outbreak was officially declared on May 15.
The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, has been spreading in Congo at an alarming rate. Cases have also been reported in other countries including Kenya, linked to a Kenyan national who contracted the disease in Congo and has since died.
Nigeria reported its first Ebola case on October 20, a Swiss woman who fell ill several days after returning from a weeks-long trip to Uganda.
Europe has recorded one case so far: a doctor who tested positive in France in June after a humanitarian mission in eastern Congo. The doctor later recovered and was discharged from hospital.
Ebola is a life-threatening disease transmitted through direct contact with infected people or their bodily fluids. It can cause severe fever, diarrhoea and bleeding.
The current outbreak has been particularly difficult to contain because there is no vaccine or specific treatment approved for the Bundibugyo strain. Early symptoms can also be mistaken for other illnesses, such as malaria, potentially delaying the isolation and treatment of patients.
Clinical trials of two antiviral treatments have been under way since July. Researchers are also testing vaccines, including whether Ervebo, an existing Ebola vaccine, offers protection against the Bundibugyo strain.
Ervebo is currently approved and recommended only for protection against the Ebola virus disease caused by the Zaire strain.
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