Ebola Deaths Top 4,100 as Kenya Confirms First Imported Bundibugyo Case

Kenya confirmed its first imported case of Bundibugyo virus (BDBV) on October 6, in a Kenyan citizen who traveled from the DRC through Uganda before dying in a Nairobi isolation unit.^1,2 The case makes Kenya the fourth country to confirm the disease during the 2026 Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, which has now caused more than 8,600 confirmed cases and 4,148 deaths in the DRC alone.^1,2

The patient fell ill about a month before travel and received care at several health facilities in the DRC.² He traveled by road through Beni to Kampala, Uganda, on October 2, flew to Nairobi on October 3, and was isolated shortly after arrival.² He died the night of October 5.²

Kenyan authorities have listed 28 contacts, including family members and health workers, and are tracing 23 passengers and four crew members from the flight.² Since May, Kenya has screened more than 652,000 travelers and tested 267 suspected samples.² The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17, 2026.¹

Through October 4, the DRC Ministry of Health reported 8,603 confirmed cases, 4,148 deaths, and 2,235 recoveries, for a case fatality rate (CFR) of 48.2%. A total of 896 patients remain hospitalized in isolation, and 79.7% of identified contacts are under follow-up. The latest daily report added 59 cases and 34 deaths, with North Kivu contributing 33 new cases compared with 23 from Ituri.¹

Ituri remains the epicenter with 6,450 cases across 28 of 36 health zones, while North Kivu reports 1,729 cases and the highest provincial CFR. Overall, 64 of 167 health zones across seven provinces have reported cases.¹

Uganda reported 20 confirmed cases and 2 deaths before the WHO declared its outbreak over on August 25. France reported one imported case in June. A DRC-based Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) staff member who tested positive on September 29 was medically evacuated to Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands on October 1.¹

Vaccine and Therapy Studies

No vaccine or virus-specific therapeutic is approved for Bundibugyo virus disease, leaving management dependent on supportive care.²

As of late September, about 6,300 health care workers had received Ebola Zaire vaccine, live (Ervebo; Merck) within a clinical trial, and 1,066 other people had also been vaccinated. Ervebo has proven efficacy against Zaire ebolavirus, and investigators are estimating its effectiveness against Bundibugyo.³

Investigators are looking the first longitudinal study in humans to look for evidence that the Ervebo vaccine might confer protection beyond its target species suggests the Ervebo vaccine elicits cross-reactive antibody responses that broaden over time. They followed 482 individuals in Mbandaka, Equateur Province, and 505 in Beni, North Kivu Province, all of whom received the vaccine in 2018 as part of the WHO ring-vaccination response and contributed serologic samples across 7 collections over 5 years. Using a pan-filovirus multiplex immunoassay, with seroreactivity reported as median fluorescent intensity (MFI), the team tracked antibody reactivity to EBOV and non-EBOV orthoebolavirus glycoproteins—most notably BDBV.⁴

At baseline, BDBV glycoprotein seroreactivity was uncommon in Mbandaka (16 participants, 3%) but more prevalent in Beni (62, 10%). The 2 cohorts then diverged sharply in tempo. In Mbandaka, BDBV reactivity held steady through 6 months before climbing from a mean MFI of 1238 at 2.5 years (16 seroreactive, 5%) to 4845 at 3.5 years (116 seroreactive, 35%). In Beni, reactivity rose quickly after vaccination, reaching a mean MFI of 6678 with 283 participants (52%) seroreactive at 21 days and 6852 with 270 (54%) seroreactive at 6 months. Both provinces experienced recurrent outbreaks involving multiple Orthoebolavirus species during the follow-up period—a factor that complicates attribution, since boosting from subclinical exposure to circulating filoviruses cannot be fully disentangled from a vaccine-driven broadening of the antibody repertoire.⁴

Additionally, investigators are also studying remdesivir (Veklury; Gilead Sciences) for treatment and obeldesivir (Gilead Sciences) for postexposure prophylaxis, according to Africa CDC. Africa CDC has reported 50 health care worker deaths since May.

Case Underreporting

Contact follow-up covers only 23% of the expected contact volume, which Africa CDC epidemiologist Wessam Mankoula, MBBS, MPH, described as a major concern.³ Mankoula also cautioned the recent decline in confirmed cases may partly reflect underreporting, as insecurity and community resistance have disrupted surveillance in several Ituri and North Kivu health zones.³

"The priority now is to move swiftly to detect any further cases," Mohamed Janabi, MD, PhD, WHO Regional Director for Africa, said in a statement.²

The WHO advises against travel or trade restrictions on the DRC, Uganda, or Kenya.²

References

1. European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. Ebola disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Updated October 6, 2026. Accessed October 7, 2026. https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/ebola-outbreak-democratic-republic-congo-and-uganda

2. World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa. Kenya confirms first imported Bundibugyo virus disease case; WHO supports control efforts. News release. October 6, 2026. Accessed October 7, 2026. https://www.afro.who.int/countries/kenya/news/kenya-confirms-first-imported-bundibugyo-virus-disease-case-who-supports-control-efforts

3. Van Beusekom M. DR Congo Ebola cases grow, deaths top 4,000 as officials struggle to ascertain numbers, trends. CIDRAP. Accessed October 7, 2026. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/ebola/dr-congo-ebola-cases-grow-deaths-top-4000-officials-struggle-ascertain-numbers-trends

4. Bender K. Evaluating Ebola Vaccine Against Current Bundibugyo Species. Contagion. Accessed October 7, 2026. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/ebola/dr-congo-ebola-outbreak-tops-8000-cases-48-death-rate