Congo’s Health Ministry reported 9,066 confirmed Ebola cases and 4,381 deaths Tuesday, as authorities struggled to contain the outbreak across seven provinces. More than 4,300 people have died. The toll is approaching half the confirmed cases.
“I feel that the government is overwhelmed by events. But there is nothing else to say. The government needs to fully shoulder its responsibilities to ensure the effectiveness of the response against Ebola,” said Samuel Buju, a resident of Bunia, the provincial capital of Ituri, one of the outbreak’s hot spots.
The reach of the outbreak
The latest report recorded 88 new cases and warned that “community transmission remains a concern.” New hot spots have appeared as the outbreak spreads to more communities. In total, 65 health zones across seven provinces are affected.
According to the report, many recorded deaths occurred outside treatment centers. Health workers and authorities have sounded the alarm over the rising toll. The figures capture only part of the outbreak: officials say confirmed cases account for only a third of all cases, with many going undetected.
The outbreak involves the rare Bundibugyo virus. No approved vaccine or treatment exists for it. At Rwampara Hospital in Ituri on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, doctors labeled a sample collected from a clinical-trial participant in trials aimed at stopping the virus.
Barriers to containment
Fighting between government forces and rebel groups has hampered containment efforts. The outbreak is unfolding amid one of the world’s direst humanitarian crises, while widespread disregard for health precautions, intense population movements, and shortages of medical supplies and treatment centers also impede the response.
People moving across affected communities and a shortage of facilities and supplies both limit treatment. Health authorities are trying to contain transmission across 65 health zones, while officials say the Health Ministry’s figures account for only a third of cases. The ministry’s latest report registered 88 new cases in that setting.
Last week, Kenya became the second country after Uganda to report an Ebola case imported from Congo. The case deepened fears that the virus could cross borders. The source report didn’t provide further details about the imported case.
A growing toll
The outbreak has surpassed Congo’s 16 previous outbreaks in scale. It’s on track to top the 2014-2016 West Africa regional outbreak, which killed 11,000 people.
A mobile laboratory opened in Butembo, Congo, on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, to test for Ebola. Workers organized tubes for blood samples inside the lab. The next day, doctors labeled the clinical-trial sample at Rwampara Hospital in Ituri.
The Health Ministry’s figures show the confirmed toll, while officials say many cases remain undetected. Buju called for the government to shoulder its responsibilities and ensure an effective response. The report says no approved vaccine or treatment exists for the Bundibugyo virus and identifies shortages of medical supplies and treatment centers as obstacles to containment.