The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reported 11,042 confirmed Ebola cases and at least 5,387 deaths in an outbreak that health authorities are finding increasingly difficult to control. Government figures released on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, highlight the severity of the epidemic, which is the largest and deadliest in the country’s history.
The outbreak is being driven by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, a rare variant for which there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment. With these figures, the epidemic has become the second-largest and second-deadliest Ebola outbreak ever recorded, surpassed only by the 2014–2016 West African epidemic, which infected more than 28,600 people and resulted in over 11,000 deaths.
Eight of the DRC’s 26 provinces have been affected, with a significant number of fatalities occurring outside designated treatment centres. Efforts to contain the virus have been undermined by delayed detection, persistent insecurity and mounting pressure on healthcare facilities. These challenges have contributed to a faster rate of transmission than in previous outbreaks.
The Bundibugyo strain is believed to have a fatality rate of approximately 50 per cent, while the lack of an effective vaccine or targeted treatment has further complicated response efforts. However, earlier in November, the World Health Organization (WHO) approved clinical trials for two new Ebola vaccine candidates, with findings expected in early 2027.
Beyond the DRC, cases have also been recorded in countries across East, Central and West Africa, making this the most geographically widespread Ebola outbreak ever documented on the African continent.
