Congo Ebola Outbreak Tops 11,000 Cases as Deaths Reach 5,387

KINSHASA — The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has passed 11,000 confirmed cases, with at least 5,387 people dead, according to government data released on Tuesday, making it the deadliest outbreak in the country’s history and the second-largest ever recorded anywhere. The figures were reported by Reuters and confirmed by Al Jazeera from the Congolese National Institute of Public Health tally.

The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which no licensed vaccine or approved specific treatment exists. It was declared on May 15, 2026, and the World Health Organization designated it a public health emergency of international concern two days later. The virus has now reached eight of the country’s 26 provinces, with the northeastern Ituri province carrying the heaviest burden, and cases have also been reported in Kenya and Nigeria. The health emergency is second in scale only to the 2014–2016 West African epidemic, which infected more than 28,600 people and killed over 11,000.

The World Health Organization’s November 6 bulletin counted 10,668 confirmed cases and 5,198 deaths as of November 3, a crude case fatality ratio of about 49 per cent, with transmission still active in 51 of 67 affected health zones. Health authorities say the response is being hampered by armed conflict and by the fact that many of the sick die in their communities before reaching a treatment centre. A vaccine trial named Tumaini began enrolling participants in Bunia on October 23, and the WHO expects early results in 2027. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says no cases from this outbreak have been confirmed in the United States and the risk to the American public remains low. Follow our live coverage for further updates as health authorities release new figures.