By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Ebola outbreak has killed more than 5,100 people, with revised health records briefly placing the disease’s fatality rate above 50% before newer surveillance data lowered the figure, according to public health reports released in early November.
The country’s National Institute of Biomedical Research reported 5,372 deaths among 10,414 confirmed infections as of Oct. 30, representing a case fatality rate of 51.6%. However, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reported Nov. 3 that updated national figures showed 5,126 deaths among 10,532 confirmed cases through Nov. 1, a fatality rate of approximately 48.7%.
The discrepancy followed a retrospective review of mortality records in Ituri province, the outbreak’s epicenter. According to Africanews reporting, officials attributed the earlier increase to adjustments in previously recorded deaths rather than an abrupt rise in fatalities during a single day.
European health authorities subsequently reported that 314 deaths added during the record review were not reflected in the Nov. 1 and Nov. 2 situation reports. Congolese authorities continue to reconcile case and mortality figures, meaning the reported totals may change as investigations proceed.
Despite the statistical revisions, the outbreak remains one of the deadliest Ebola epidemics on record. An Associated Press report published Oct. 31 described it as the second-deadliest outbreak in history, surpassed only by the 2014-2016 West African epidemic that killed more than 11,000 people.
The current epidemic began in May 2026, when Congolese health authorities confirmed an outbreak involving the Bundibugyo virus, a species of Ebola virus. The disease has since spread through 67 health zones across eight provinces, with Ituri and North Kivu accounting for the overwhelming majority of infections and deaths.
According to the latest European surveillance figures, Ituri has recorded 7,431 infections and 3,492 deaths, while North Kivu has reported 2,518 cases and 1,395 fatalities. Haut-Uélé province has recorded another 467 infections and 205 deaths.
Transmission has also been documented in Tshopo, South Kivu, Bas-Uélé, Sud-Ubangi and Nord-Ubangi provinces, extending the geographical reach of the epidemic and increasing the difficulty of identifying infected individuals and monitoring their contacts.
Health officials reported 65 additional confirmed cases and 23 deaths in the Nov. 2 surveillance update, covering data through Nov. 1. Of those infections, 39 were identified in North Kivu, 19 in Ituri and seven in Haut-Uélé.
The outbreak has also crossed international borders. Kenya reported its first imported Bundibugyo Ebola case on Oct. 6 after an infected traveler entered the country from Congo through Uganda. Nine confirmed infections and two deaths have subsequently been recorded in Kenya, according to European health surveillance officials.
Uganda has documented additional infections, while Nigeria confirmed an imported case in October. The Nigerian patient was subsequently evacuated to Switzerland for medical treatment, and health authorities identified 62 contacts requiring monitoring as of Oct. 29.
In Kenya, five Ebola patients were discharged Tuesday after testing negative for the virus, according to an Associated Press report published Nov. 4. Two patients remained hospitalized, and officials reported no new infections during the preceding two weeks. Contact tracing and quarantine measures remained in effect.
Containment efforts in Congo have been complicated by insecurity, limited medical infrastructure, shortages of personnel and supplies, and difficulties tracing infections. Armed conflict in eastern Congo has further restricted access to some affected communities, while attacks on health workers and interruptions in medical services have hindered the response.
The World Health Organization warned in its Oct. 23 update that a substantial proportion of Ebola deaths were occurring outside treatment facilities. Of 482 deaths recorded during one reporting period, 307 occurred in communities compared with 175 in treatment centers, illustrating the continuing difficulties in identifying patients early enough to provide medical care.
Approximately 80% of new infections have also occurred outside established contact-monitoring networks, according to African public health authorities. That finding indicates that many transmission chains remain unidentified, allowing the virus to circulate before response teams can isolate patients and monitor potentially exposed individuals.
Unlike outbreaks caused by the Zaire Ebola virus, for which licensed vaccines and treatments are available, the Bundibugyo strain does not currently have an approved vaccine or virus-specific treatment. Medical care focuses on maintaining hydration, managing complications and supporting organ function while patients recover.
The WHO confirmed when the outbreak was declared in May that early supportive treatment can improve survival. Previous Bundibugyo outbreaks have produced case fatality rates ranging from approximately 30% to 50%.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids, contaminated materials or infected animals. Symptoms commonly begin with fever, fatigue, muscle pain and headache, followed in some patients by vomiting, diarrhea and bleeding. The incubation period generally ranges from two to 21 days.
Congolese health authorities and international partners continue monitoring suspected infections, tracing contacts and expanding treatment capacity in affected regions. The latest European surveillance report indicated that 2,834 patients had recovered and 961 remained hospitalized in isolation as of Nov. 2.
Public health officials are continuing to investigate both the spread of the virus and discrepancies in reported deaths, with the revised mortality figures underscoring the challenges of maintaining accurate surveillance during a large outbreak affecting communities with limited access to medical care.
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