World

Congo's Ebola deaths pass 5,000 as outbreak becomes second-deadliest on record

Democratic Republic of Congo • October 31, 2026 • By Press Pass USA

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Deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak have topped 5,000, according to the latest government data released Saturday, as the disease keeps spreading and cases are recorded in other African countries.

Data from the Congolese Ministry of Health showed the outbreak has killed 5,026 people out of 10,351 infected, a fatality rate of nearly 50%. So far, 2,788 people have recovered. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, was declared in mid-May and is already the second-deadliest Ebola outbreak in history, behind only the two-year West Africa outbreak of 2014 to 2016, which killed 11,000 people across several countries.

"It is a very tragic milestone because it is just not a number," said Dr. Patrick Otim, a program area manager with the World Health Organization. "It is families and communities that have been devastated by this outbreak. The number also shows the severity of this outbreak."

Since May, the disease has spread to 67 of the country's 178 health zones across eight of its 26 provinces, with 50 of the affected zones reporting active cases. The virus is concentrated in the east, especially in Ituri and North Kivu, which together account for 9,782 confirmed cases and 4,792 deaths. The Bundibugyo virus has no approved vaccine or treatment, and health workers treat patients based on their symptoms.

Containment is struggling on several fronts. According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, about 80% of new cases are coming from outside the chains of monitored contacts, meaning most new infections are not being caught through contact tracing. One-third of recorded deaths are people who died outside of treatment centers, before being tested for Ebola, Otim said.

"These are people we never had opportunity to try to save them and it is one of the biggest concerns for us in this outbreak. How do we try to reach people early to get them to come to health facilities to get a fighting chance to survive?" Otim said.

The eastern region where the outbreak is concentrated is also a conflict zone, with fighting between the government and armed groups, including the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, and an Islamist insurgency near the Ugandan border, limiting the reach of health workers. Widespread disbelief has led to attacks on health workers and facilities: a nurse was killed last week while responding to an Ebola alert, and a politician from the ruling party was killed in September after advocating for health measures on the radio.

Health workers have also gone on strike over long delays in pay. On Friday, workers at an Ebola treatment center in Tchomia, in Ituri, stopped work demanding four months of unpaid wages; the center currently has five confirmed Ebola patients and 10 suspected cases under care. Africa CDC chief Jean Kaseya has told African health ministers the continent is "not winning so far" against the outbreak.

In October, both Kenya and Nigeria confirmed cases of Ebola. Kenya has confirmed eight cases and two deaths, while Nigeria's sole confirmed case was evacuated to Switzerland. Cases were also confirmed earlier in Uganda, making this the first recorded Ebola outbreak spanning three African regions and the continent's most geographically widespread.

Sources: The Associated Press (Oct 31, 2026) — "Congo's Ebola deaths top 5,000 as fear of continent-wide spread mounts"; BBC News (Oct 31, 2026) — "More than 5,000 die from Ebola in DR Congo's deadliest outbreak"; Reuters (Oct 30, 2026) — "Congo Ebola deaths exceed 5,000, government data shows."