Congo's confirmed Ebola cases exceed 9,000 as containment efforts falter
[October 14, 2026]
BUNIA, Congo (AP) — Confirmed cases in Congo’s Ebola outbreak
have surpassed 9,000, with more than 4,300 deaths, as health authorities
struggle to contain an outbreak spreading across seven provinces,
according to government figures released Tuesday.
The Health Ministry reported 9,066 confirmed cases and 4,381 deaths,
with the death toll approaching half the number of confirmed cases.
The rising death toll has alarmed health workers and authorities, with a
large share of recorded deaths occurring outside treatment centers. The
latest report recorded 88 new cases and warned that “community
transmission remains a concern."
The outbreak has created new hot spots as it spreads to more
communities, with 65 health zones across seven provinces now affected.
Officials say the confirmed cases account for only a third of all cases,
with many going undetected. The outbreak involves the rare Bundibugyo
virus, for which there is no approved vaccine or treatment.
Efforts to contain the virus have been impaired by several factors,
including fighting between government forces and rebel groups, which has
created one of the world's direst humanitarian crises, widespread
disregard for health precautions, intense population movements and
shortages of medical supplies and treatment centers.
The outbreak has surpassed Congo's 16 previous outbreaks in scale and is
on track to top the 2014-2016 West Africa regional outbreak that killed
11,000 people.
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Doctors label a sample collected from a participant during clinical
trials attempting to stop the rare Bundibugyo virus, amidst a deadly
Ebola outbreak, in Rwampara Hospital in Ituri, Congo, Thursday, Oct.
1, 2026. (AP Photo/Dieudonne Dirole)
 “I feel that the government is
overwhelmed by events. But there is nothing else to say. The
government needs to fully shoulder its responsibilities to ensure
the effectiveness of the response against Ebola,” said Samuel Buju,
a resident of Bunia, the provincial capital of Ituri, one of the
outbreak's hot spots.
Last week, Kenya became the second country after Uganda to report an
Ebola case imported from Congo, deepening concerns about the virus
spreading across borders.
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