Congo Ebola cases surpass 10,000 as health worker killed in attack

The Democratic Republic of Congo is facing its worst Ebola epidemic on record, with confirmed cases surpassing 10,060 and deaths reaching 4,887. Driven by the rare Bundibugyo species, the virus has spread to Kenya and Nigeria, where a Swiss diplomat's wife was infected. Operational challenges are compounded by community hostility and false rumors; an October 24 attack in Bafwasende left a nurse dead. In response, clinical trials of Merck's Ervebo vaccine and candidates from Moderna and Oxford have begun in Congo.

Ebola case numbers and spread in Congo

• ▪Out of 46 recent Ebola deaths reported in Congo, Forty occurred within local communities rather than in specialized treatment centers
• ▪Recent Ebola infections in the Democratic Republic of Congo were reported across Ituri, North Kivu, and Tshopo provinces
• ▪The Democratic Republic of Congo public health institute reported that confirmed Ebola cases surpassed 10,060 and total deaths reached 4,887 as of October 25, 2026

Attack on Ebola responders in Bafwasende

• ▪UN Senior Ebola Response Coordinator Julien Harneis issued a statement on October 26, 2026 demanding an investigation into attacks on health personnel
• ▪The October 24 attack in Bafwasende resulted in the death of a nurse and left a school principal severely injured and hospitalized
• ▪A crowd in Bafwasende attacked Ebola responders after falsely blaming them for contaminating a local water source

Ebola developments in Kenya and Uganda

• ▪Uganda announced that returning citizens with a history of travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo will undergo a 21-day quarantine
• ▪Kenya announced nine total Ebola cases after a male traveler from the Democratic Republic of Congo via Uganda died in Nairobi
• ▪Uganda reported 20 Ebola cases in May and June 2026 before the World Health Organization declared the country Ebola-free in August 2026

Ebola case involving Swiss diplomat's wife

• ▪The wife of a Swiss diplomat tested positive for Ebola in Nigeria despite having no history of travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo
• ▪The Swiss diplomat's wife who contracted Ebola in Nigeria was believed by the Swiss government to have contracted the virus in Uganda
• ▪The Swiss diplomat and his wife were medically evacuated to hospitals

Testing of Bundibugyo Ebola vaccines

• ▪Experimental Bundibugyo Ebola vaccines developed by Moderna Inc., the University of Oxford, and the Serum Institute of India are scheduled for testing in Congo
• ▪A clinical trial evaluating Merck & Co.'s Ervebo vaccine against the rare Bundibugyo Ebola species began in Congo during the third week of October 2026

Historical scale of the outbreak

• ▪The 2026 epidemic is the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record, behind the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak that infected over 28,600 and killed 11,000
• ▪The current Ebola outbreak caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus species was announced in mid-May 2026 and is the largest ever recorded in Congo