KINSHASA / RankWire.AI / – The Democratic Republic of the Congo has documented 8,067 confirmed Ebola cases since the start of its latest outbreak. As of September 26, the death toll stood at 3,901, resulting in a case fatality rate of approximately 48%. Congolese health authorities have reported cases across 63 health zones within seven of the country’s 26 provinces. This outbreak is now recognized as the largest and deadliest Ebola epidemic ever recorded in the nation.
The government announced the outbreak on May 15 after confirming the Bundibugyo virus as the causative agent. It marks the 17th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Bundibugyo virus is one of the known Ebola virus species responsible for severe illness in humans. According to the World Health Organization, there is currently no licensed vaccine or approved treatment specifically targeting Bundibugyo virus disease.
While Ituri remains the primary hotspot, infections have also spread to several other regions. The affected provinces include Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Tshopo, Haut Uele, Bas Uele, and Sud Ubangi. WHO data indicated that by September 23, Ituri had reported cases in 28 of its 36 health zones, whereas North Kivu had cases in 16 of its 34 zones.
Transmission persists despite a decline in new cases
Recent reporting periods show a reduction in new infections and fatalities, according to the World Health Organization. The agency reports a 20.3% decrease in incident cases over the last two 14-day periods, with deaths dropping by 24.2% during the same timeframe. Nonetheless, transmission remains high in parts of Ituri, especially in areas where local trends continue to worsen, posing ongoing challenges for containment.
By September 26, health teams had recorded 2,070 recoveries as they maintained surveillance and treatment efforts. Authorities continued contact tracing, laboratory testing, infection prevention, and community outreach in affected zones. However, delays in case detection and prompt treatment have hampered efforts, and community deaths remain a serious concern as they may indicate that infected individuals did not access care early enough.
Current outbreak exceeds previous Congo Ebola records
This 2026 epidemic has surpassed the scale of the 2018 to 2020 Ebola outbreak in the country, which recorded 3,481 cases and 2,299 deaths in its final tally. It is also the second-largest Ebola epidemic documented worldwide, after the 2014 to 2016 West Africa outbreak that resulted in over 28,600 infections and more than 11,300 deaths.
Health officials are closely observing the geographic spread of the outbreak, especially as several affected provinces border international nations. Dungu health zone in Haut Uele borders South Sudan, while Sud Ubangi shares borders with the Central African Republic and the Republic of the Congo. Response teams continue to prioritize early detection, patient care, and infection control measures. Despite the recent decline in reported cases and fatalities, the latest national data indicates that Ebola transmission persists in the region.