Congo's Ebola outbreak passes 10,000 confirmed cases, with no vaccine for the strain
About 5,100 people have died. Ghana and the United States have tightened checks on travellers.
Kinshasa — The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has passed 10,000 confirmed cases, making it the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 10,498 confirmed cases and 5,107 confirmed deaths across affected countries as of 31 October. Congo accounts for almost all of them: 10,467 cases and 5,103 deaths. The milestone of 10,000 cases in Congo was passed on 27 October.
Key facts
- Strain: Bundibugyo virus, for which there is no approved vaccine or treatment.
- Epicentre: Ituri province, with more than 7,000 of the cases, according to the World Health Organization.
- Spread: Kenya and Nigeria have reported imported cases. Uganda's outbreak was declared over in September.
- Emergency: the WHO declared a public health emergency of international concern in May.
Travel measures
Ghana says travellers arriving from affected countries will be monitored for 21 days. The United States now requires travellers bound for the US to sign a health attestation before boarding.
Sources: WHO, CIDRAP, Pulse Ghana, November 2026.
