DRC Ebola outbreak passes 8,900 confirmed cases as new Kenyan import reported
ECDC reports 8,978 confirmed Ebola cases and 4,336 deaths in the DRC as of 11 October 2026, with 945 patients hospitalised and a first imported case confirmed in Kenya.
The story in focus
The Democratic Republic of the Congo had reported 8,978 confirmed Ebola cases and 4,336 deaths as of 11 October 2026, the ECDC says. Sixty-four new cases and 21 deaths were logged on 10 October. Kenya confirmed its first imported case, and the patient died.
- Sixty-five of 167 health zones across seven DRC provinces are affected; Ituri remains the most affected with 6,639 cases and 3,074 deaths.
- Kenya reported its first confirmed imported case on 6 October 2026; the patient, who had lived in the DRC, died.
- ECDC modelling puts the risk of importation into the EU/EEA at very low, though sporadic cases cannot be excluded.
Scale of the outbreak in the DRC
As of 11 October 2026, the DRC had reported 8,978 confirmed cases and 4,336 related deaths, based on data up to 10 October, according to the ECDC's weekday update. A total of 945 patients were in isolation, and 2,356 people who tested positive for Bundibugyo virus had recovered. Sixty-four new confirmed cases and 21 deaths were reported on 10 October.
Ituri province remains the most affected, with 6,639 cases and 3,074 deaths across 28 of its 36 health zones. North Kivu reported 1,883 cases and 1,075 deaths in 17 of 34 health zones. Overall, 65 of 167 health zones are affected across seven provinces, and 81% of identified case contacts are under follow-up. The ECDC says DRC case and death data are under continuous review and harmonisation.
Kenyan import and European monitoring
On 6 October 2026, Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Health announced the country's first confirmed imported Ebola case. The patient, a Kenyan citizen who had been residing in the DRC, travelled through Uganda and arrived in Nairobi on 3 October; the patient subsequently died. On 11 October, the cabinet secretary said 108 of 122 listed contacts were in quarantine and had not developed symptoms.
A DRC-based healthcare worker who tested positive on 29 September was medically evacuated to the Netherlands and admitted to a high-level isolation unit at Leiden University Medical Center on 1 October. ECDC modelling calculations put the risk of importation into the EU/EEA at very low, though sporadic importations cannot be excluded. The modelling covers the general population of Ituri and North Kivu and does not account for returning healthcare workers, who face greater exposure risk but are subject to infection control and monitoring.
Uganda outbreak declared over
Uganda's Ministry of Health reported 20 cases between May and June 2026. On 25 August, the WHO declared the end of that outbreak after 42 days without a new confirmed case.
How many Ebola cases and deaths had the DRC reported as of 11 October 2026?
The DRC had reported 8,978 confirmed cases and 4,336 related deaths, based on data up to 10 October, according to the ECDC. Sixty-four new cases and 21 deaths were reported on 10 October.
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