The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has passed 11,000 confirmed cases, according to government data released on Tuesday, in what is now the deadliest outbreak in the country’s history and the second largest ever recorded.
Health ministry figures put confirmed infections at 11,042, with 5,387 deaths — a fatality rate of nearly half of all those infected. The outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, was declared in mid-May and has now spread to eight of Congo’s 26 provinces.
It ranks behind only the 2014–2016 West African epidemic, which infected more than 28,600 people and killed more than 11,000. No other Ebola outbreak has come close to either toll, and the Congolese outbreak reached its grim milestone far faster than West Africa’s did.
Containment has proved exceptionally difficult. Congolese authorities have struggled against armed conflict in the east of the country, a strained health system, poor roads, and violence from residents fuelled by mistrust and misinformation, according to the Associated Press.
The Bundibugyo strain has no approved vaccine or specific treatment, which leaves health workers reliant on supportive care, isolation and contact tracing. The World Health Organization approved trials of two new candidate vaccines earlier this month, with results expected in early 2027. A platform trial known as Tumaini began in the eastern city of Bunia on 23 October.
The WHO’s most recent situation report, published on 6 November using data as of 3 November, had counted 10,668 confirmed cases and 5,198 deaths. The latest government figures show the outbreak is still growing, with dozens of new cases and deaths reported each day.
The WHO declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern in May, after cases were confirmed beyond Congo’s borders. Health officials in the United States say the risk to the American public remains low and no cases have been found there.
Sources: Reuters (https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/congos-ebola-cases-surpass-11000-government-data-show-2026-11-10/); Associated Press (https://www.kdlg.org/as-heard-on-npr/2026-11-11/ebola-tops-11-000-cases-in-congos-deadliest-outbreak)
