2026-DON622 — Ebola outbreak update

Since the publication of the previous Disease Outbreak News on 8 October 2026, the Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) outbreak has expanded geographically in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as in the African Region, with Kenya and Nigeria reporting imported cases. Sustained, high-level transmission continues in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As of 20 October 2026, a total of 9704 confirmed cases, including 4687 deaths (crude case fatality ratio: 48.3%), have been reported across 66 health zones in eight provinces. The high proportion of deaths occurring in communities continues to highlight challenges in early case detection and timely access to appropriate care. Of the 482 deaths reported since the previous update, 307 occurred in communities and 175 in treatment centres. On 6 October 2026, the Ministry of Health of Kenya reported the first laboratory-confirmed imported case of BVD in Kenya in an individual who had travelled from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Kenya via Uganda. As of 20 October 2026, a total of nine cases of BVD including one death, has been reported in Kenya. The eight additional cases are all known contacts of the first imported case. T

Read full WHO report (2026-DON622)