Ebola: 8,728 cases, and most deaths are outside clinics
The World Health Organization's latest count from DR Congo shows about 72 new cases a day. Of 379 recent deaths, 264 happened in the community.
Geneva — The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has reached 8,728 confirmed cases and 4,205 confirmed deaths, the World Health Organization says in its latest bulletin. The figures run to 6 October.
Just under half of those confirmed to have the disease have died. So far 2,269 people have recovered.
The outbreak is not slowing. The country recorded an average of 72 new cases a day over the past week, and the weekly total edged up from 475 to 487.
Dying at home
One figure in the bulletin stands out. Of 379 deaths reported since 25 September, 264 happened in the community and only 108 in treatment centres.
The WHO says many people are being identified late and are slow to reach care. In its early stages the disease is hard to tell apart from malaria and other common fevers without a laboratory test.
Where it is
Cases have been reported from 64 health zones in seven provinces: Bas-Uélé, Haut-Uélé, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Sud Ubangi and Tshopo.
Ituri is the centre of the outbreak, with 6,480 cases and 2,989 deaths. North Kivu has 1,755 cases and 1,013 deaths, a higher death rate of nearly 58%.
Tracing contacts
Health teams reached 23,741 of 29,535 known contacts on 4 October. That is 80.4%, below the 85% target. The WHO describes a persistent gap in following contacts for the full 21 days.
It lists insecurity and a shortage of funding among the main obstacles.
Beyond Congo
Kenya confirmed its first imported case on 5 October. The patient had lived in Congo, had been ill for about a month, and travelled through Kampala to Nairobi, arriving on 3 October. The patient died on the day the laboratory confirmed the infection. Contacts are being traced, including passengers on an international flight.
A health worker who had been working on the response in Congo tested positive and was evacuated to the Netherlands on 1 October.
The risk
The WHO rates the risk as very high in Congo, high in the countries that border it, and low for the rest of Africa and the world. A fuller assessment for Kenya is pending.
It advises against any restriction on travel to, or trade with, the affected countries.
Source: World Health Organization, Disease Outbreak News, 8 October 2026.
