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Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus - Democratic Republic of the Congo

WHO Disease Outbreak News

Published

25 Sept 2026

Since the last Disease Outbreak News was published on 11 September 2026, the Bundibugyo virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has expanded further, with two additional health zones affected. These include Bulu health zone in a new province, Sud Ubangi, located on the north-west part of the country and Dungu health zone in Haut-Uélé province, bordering South Sudan. This brings the total number of affected health zones to 63 across seven provinces out of 26 provinces of the country: Bas-Uélé, Haut-Uélé, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Sud Ubangi and Tshopo. This latest geographic expansion increases the risk of cross-border transmission. As of 23 September 2026, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has reported 7890 confirmed cases, including 3799 deaths, resulting in a crude case fatality ratio (CFR) of 48.1%. At the national level, the number of new cases reported each day remains high. However, the situation varies across the country, with some provinces and health zones experiencing much higher levels of transmission than others. The continuously high CFR, and especially the continuous high rate of deaths occurring in communities, highlights the seriousness of the disease and the persistent challenges in timely case detection and access to early and adequate patient care. These delays can contribute to preventable illness and deaths among people in affected and newly affected areas, while also allowing transmission to continue within households, communities, and healthcare settings.