Congo reports nearly 8,000 confirmed Ebola cases
The Bundibugyo virus outbreak is expanding as conflict and displacement hamper case-finding and contact tracing.
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Almost 8,000 confirmed cases of Ebola have been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to the World Health Organization. The outbreak has now reached 63 health zones in seven provinces, but the figures are rising rapidly and being updated regularly.
According to Reuters and Al Jazeera, the WHO reported that Congo had recorded 7,890 confirmed cases and 3,799 deaths as of 23 September. The cases involve the Bundibugyo variant, a type of ebolavirus for which no specifically approved vaccine or medicine is available. The rounding up to 8,000 is therefore mainly a snapshot of a rapidly changing epidemic.
New cases have been identified in Bulu, in South-Ubangi province on the border with the Central African Republic, and in Dungu in Haut-Uele, near South Sudan. The outbreak has thereby spread further beyond the areas where the first infections were identified.
The WHO points to the consequences of armed conflict and population displacement. Health workers find it difficult to reach some communities, while people who may have been exposed cannot always be traced or monitored. The recording of contacts is also falling short of what experts say is necessary.
Jean Kaseya of Africa CDC estimated that more than 7,000 confirmed patients could result in about 420,000 contacts requiring follow-up. According to reports, around 30,000 people were on contact lists at that point. That difference does not mean that all the remaining people are infected, but it does indicate that investigations into possible chains of transmission are incomplete.
The WHO has drawn up temporary guidelines for the possible use of Ervebo, the only licensed Ebola vaccine. The vaccine was developed against the Zaire virus; its effectiveness against Bundibugyo has not been established in the same way as its effectiveness against the Zaire virus. Clinical trials into vaccines and treatments are therefore also being accelerated.
The outbreak began in May 2026 and is considered a serious regional health crisis. The WHO stresses that containing it depends on local health services, safe access to affected areas, reliable reporting and cooperation with communities. The sources consulted contain no report of a current infection in the Netherlands.
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The key figures and spread are based on WHO- and Reuters-related reporting. Uncertainties about vaccine effectiveness and the current tally are explicitly reflected in the text.
- confirmed As of 23 September, 7,890 confirmed Ebola cases and 3,799 deaths had been reported in Congo. — Mentioned in Reuters-related reporting via Al Jazeera. source
- confirmed The outbreak reached 63 health zones in seven provinces. — WHO figure as presented in the reporting. source
- confirmed New cases were reported in Bulu and Dungu. — Attributed to the WHO. source
- confirmed No specifically approved vaccine or medicine is available for Bundibugyo. — The WHO describes Bundibugyo as a little-studied variant without a licensed vaccine or treatment. source
- confirmed The WHO has drawn up guidelines for the possible use of Ervebo. — WHO publication of 1 September 2026. source
Editor's note
WHO- and Reuters-related reporting cites 7,890 confirmed cases as of 23 September; the headline has therefore been phrased as nearly 8,000. The current tally may by now be higher.Sources
- Ebola outbreak - DRC 2026 — World Health Organization
- DR Congo’s Ebola outbreak spreads to two new health zones — Al Jazeera/Reuters
- Ebola outbreak in Congo spreads to a 7th province — Associated Press
More on this in Dutch media
- RTL Nieuws — „ebola congo”
- NOS — „ebola congo”
- Het Parool — „ebola congo”