Congo's Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak passes 10,668 cases as a patient is flown to London

The Democratic Republic of the Congo's Bundibugyo virus outbreak has now recorded more confirmed deaths than any previous Ebola event, and the World Health Organization's latest outbreak report, published 6 November, shows transmission still spreading across the country's east [s1]. As of 3 November, cumulative confirmed cases in the DRC had reached 10,668, including 5,198 deaths and 2,881 recoveries — an overall crude case fatality ratio of 48.7% [s1]. An additional 964 confirmed cases, including 511 deaths, had been reported since the previous notice [s1].

The outbreak, declared on 15 May 2026, has reached five countries — the DRC, France, Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda — though WHO says the events in France and Uganda have been controlled since August [s1]. On 5 November, the United Kingdom reported the medical evacuation of one confirmed case, a health and care worker, from the DRC to London, where the patient is now receiving care [s1].

Transmission remains geographically active

Confirmed cases have now been identified in 67 health zones across eight DRC provinces, and 51 of those zones reported at least one new case in the preceding 21 days [s1]. In that window, 1,463 new confirmed cases were logged, with Ituri accounting for 710 and Nord Kivu for 640 [s1]. Ituri remains the most extensively affected province, with 7,485 cumulative confirmed cases and 3,532 deaths, and 28 of its 36 health zones have reported cases during the outbreak [s1]. Nord Kivu follows with 2,593 cases and 1,422 deaths, and continues to record the highest provincial case fatality ratio, at 54.8% [s1]. Haut-Uele has reported 470 cases and 208 deaths, and Tshopo 94 cases and 29 deaths; the less-affected provinces report far fewer cases, but transmission persists in several [s1]. Yakoma, in Nord-Ubangi province, is the most recently affected health zone, with three confirmed cases [s1].

Contact tracing — the backbone of any Ebola response — is lagging the target. Over the 14 days ending 3 November, the average proportion of contacts seen daily was 86%, below the 95% threshold WHO sets [s1]. Three provinces met or exceeded it (Bas-Uele at 99%, Nord-Ubangi and Sud-Ubangi at 95%), while four fell short, including Tshopo at 71% and Nord Kivu at 82% [s1]. WHO says strengthened follow-up is needed, particularly in the provinces below target, to reach the minimum threshold [s1].

Two contained clusters outside Congo

Kenya's outbreak, seeded by a single imported case, remained at nine confirmed cases as of 3 November, with one additional death bringing the total to two — a crude case fatality ratio of 22.2% [s1]. All eight secondary cases are epidemiologically linked to the imported index case and belong to one cluster: four family members and four health and care workers [s1]. Critically, all eight were already under quarantine as known contacts when they developed symptoms, and there is no evidence of transmission beyond the cluster; no new cases have been confirmed in Kenya since 19 October [s1]. Five of the nine patients have recovered, and of the 135 contacts identified, 66 have completed the 21-day follow-up while 52 remain under monitoring through 11 November [s1].

Nigeria reported a single laboratory-confirmed imported case in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on 20 October; on 26 October, Switzerland reported the patient's medical evacuation to Geneva, where they remain in isolation [s1]. Nigeria has identified 62 contacts for follow-up, six of whom have completed the 21-day period, and investigators are still working to establish the source of infection and reconstruct the travel history [s1].

What WHO is watching

WHO last formally reassessed the outbreak on 14 August, rating the risk in the DRC very high, the risk for countries sharing land borders with it high, and the risk for the rest of the African region and globally low [s1]. The agency says that assessment is now being revised in light of the evolving situation and newly available information [s1]. The cross-border medical evacuations to London and Geneva — alongside Kenya's and Nigeria's imported cases — underline why WHO has urged countries across the region to strengthen surveillance, laboratory diagnostic capacity, rapid-response readiness and cross-border preparedness [s1]. The core problem inside the DRC is unchanged: an outbreak still active across eight provinces, with contact follow-up short of the level needed to break the remaining chains of transmission [s1].

This article is informational and is not medical advice.