DR Congo: the 2026 Ebola outbreak

This dossier follows reported Ebola totals in DR Congo and documented surveillance difficulties. Notification figures are distinguished from infection dates.

Last updated : 2 November 20264 key moments

CDC micrograph of an Ebola virion. Archive illustration; not a 2026 sample or identification of its strain. Cynthia Goldsmith, public domain. — CDC / Cynthia Goldsmith — domaine public, PHIL #10816 — sans modification

Where things stand

On 2 November, Africa CDC communicated 5,372 cumulative deaths in the DRC. The national bulletin for 30 October attributes the rise in reported deaths to retrospective adjustment; it is not a daily count.

2 November 2026Reported information

Ebola: Africa CDC reports cumulative DRC death toll of 5,372

Africa CDC shared with AFP on 2 November 2026 a cumulative Ebola death toll of 5,372 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, out of 5,376 deaths across countries affected by the outbreak. These are cumulative figures, not deaths in the last 24 hours.

CDC micrograph of an Ebola virion. Archive illustration; not a 2026 sample or identification of its strain. Cynthia Goldsmith, public domain. — CDC / Cynthia Goldsmith — domaine public, PHIL #10816 — sans modification

Africanews, with AP, reports a Congolese bulletin covering 30 October: 10,414 confirmed cases and 5,372 deaths. Authorities attribute the rise in reported deaths to retrospective data adjustment rather than a sudden single-day surge.

The reference date of the figures and the date they were communicated must therefore be distinguished. The totals do not date every death or, on their own, measure current transmission.

Sources 3

31 October 2026Reported information

DR Congo: reported ministry Ebola tally passes 5,000 deaths

The Congolese health authorities’ tally reported on 31 October 2026 reaches 5,026 deaths among 10,351 cases since the Ebola outbreak began.

Electron micrograph of an Ebola virus from 1976. — Archival thematic illustration showing neither 2026 patients nor the attacked centre. CDC / F. A. Murphy, public domain. — CDC / Dr. Frederick A. Murphy — domaine public — micrographie de 1976, redimensionnement uniquement

These are cumulative figures since mid-May, not infections and deaths from the past 24 hours.

The published data does not provide each person’s infection or death date. Its release updates the tally but does not by itself measure the current speed of transmission.

Sources 2

31 October 2026Reported information

Bafwasende: attack targets Ebola treatment centre

An attack targeted Bafwasende’s Ebola treatment centre in Tshopo early on 31 October 2026, according to medical accounts gathered by Congolese media.

Chief medical officer Marcel Likilo reports two rooms burned before guards intervened. Kis24 also reports attempted arson and stone throwing, citing a treating doctor.

Health workers are requesting stronger protection. Accounts differ on the time and detailed damage; the attackers have not been identified.

Sources 3

27 October 2026Reported information

DR Congo’s reported Ebola tally passes 10,000 confirmed cases

Congolese health authorities’ tally reported on 27 October 2026 puts cumulative Ebola infections in the Democratic Republic of Congo at 10,060 confirmed cases, with 4,887 deaths. Anadolu and AFP report these national figures.

CDC colourised micrograph of an Ebola virion. Archive scientific illustration; not a sample from the 2026 outbreak or identification of its strain. Public domain. — CDC / Cynthia Goldsmith — domaine public, PHIL #10816 — sans modification

Authorities also report 2,684 recoveries. The outbreak, identified in May, has affected eight provinces. These figures describe the cumulative outbreak and do not represent infections or deaths solely in the past 24 hours.

Ouragan specifies that the daily data concern 25 October, with 96 newly notified cases. It also distinguishes reported deaths from the dates on which they occurred: delayed notification means that all the deaths cannot be assigned to a single day.

The updated tally provides a fresh monitoring point. Differences between data collection, the report and online publication dates must be retained when interpreting the outbreak’s evolution.

Sources 3