CDC says the Bundibugyo virus outbreak in the DRC is the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record, with 9735 confirmed cases and 4690 deaths.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 9735 total confirmed cases and 4690 confirmed deaths as of October 21, 2026, in an
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) accounts for 9704 confirmed cases and 4687 confirmed deaths. This is the 17th Ebola outbreak in the DRC, with cases confirmed in Bas-Uele, Haut-Uele, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, South Ubangi, North Ubangi, and Tshopo provinces.1
The outbreak surpassed 1000 confirmed cases within 40 days of response activation. By comparison, the 2018 DRC outbreak took approximately 235 days to pass the same mark. South Kivu has reported no confirmed cases since May 29.1
Kenya has confirmed 9 cases and 1 death as of October 20. The first, on October 6, was a man who traveled from the DRC through Uganda to Nairobi, was hospitalized, and died in isolation; later cases were relatives or health care providers, all already in quarantine, and Kenya reports no community spread.1
Uganda reported 20 confirmed cases and 2 deaths, plus 1 probable case and 1 probable death, with its last reported case confirmed June 21. CDC also lists 1 confirmed case each in Nigeria and France.1
CDC said no cases tied to this outbreak have been reported in the US and rates the overall risk to the American public as low. Travelers who were in the DRC within 21 days of their flight cannot board commercial flights to the US, and US citizens and nationals who were in Uganda or South Sudan, but not the DRC, must enter through designated airports for enhanced screening.1
CDC cited limited health infrastructure, ongoing conflict, violence against health care workers, shortages of personal protective equipment, frequent cross-border travel, and misinformation as obstacles. Health care workers have become infected while treating patients.1
