Ebola Outbreak
Key Facts
- Count. Congo’s government data, reported on 10 and 11 November 2026, show 11,042 confirmed Ebola cases and 5,387 deaths.
- Rank. It is the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record, and second-deadliest by the totals, after West Africa in 2014 to 2016.
- Virus. The cause is Bundibugyo, a rarer species of the Ebola virus, for which no vaccine or treatment is approved.
- Spread. Eight of Congo’s 26 provinces have had cases, according to the same data reports.
- Prediction markets. Polymarket, a prediction platform, gives 1.3% to an “Ebola pandemic in 2026” (11 November, about 3 a.m. ET).
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has passed 11,000 confirmed cases, according to government data reported on 10 and 11 November 2026. The data show 11,042 confirmed infections and 5,387 deaths, about six months after the outbreak was declared in mid-May.
What the Government Data Show
Ebola is a severe virus that spreads through contact with the body fluids of sick or dead people. This outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo species, which is rarer than the Zaire species behind the 2014 epidemic, and no approved treatment or vaccine exists for it.
The World Health Organization (WHO), the UN health agency, reported 6,757 confirmed cases and 3,267 deaths in Congo as of 7 September, so the count has risen by about 4,300 cases and 2,100 deaths in two months, though the two figures come from different sources. Our report on the shift of the hotspot to North Kivu has the regional picture.
Second Only to West Africa
The outbreak is now the second-largest on record, and second-deadliest by the totals, behind only the 2014 to 2016 epidemic in West Africa, which infected more than 28,600 people and killed more than 11,000. Eight of Congo’s 26 provinces have had cases.
What Prediction Markets Say
On Polymarket, a prediction platform, traders priced an “Ebola pandemic in 2026” at 1.3% on 11 November at about 3 a.m. ET (these are bets, not polls). About US$817,705 has been traded, and the market pays out only if the WHO describes an Ebola outbreak as a pandemic.
Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
What It Means for You
For travellers, the main effect is on US-bound trips. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the national public health agency, has barred the entry of non-citizens who were in Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the past 21 days, under an order issued on 18 May 2026.
The order was renewed in 30-day steps, most recently through 10 November, and we could not confirm a later extension, so check the CDC page for the current term. Rules for US citizens differ, so check with your airline; our guide to the flight rules has the detail.
Ghana’s health ministry said on 3 November that every passenger arriving at Accra’s airport is screened, and no case had been confirmed in the country when we last checked. Our Ghana screening report has the details, and our report on deaths passing 5,000 covers the wider outbreak.
What Is Not Known
It is not known how many infections are going undetected. It is also not known how the newest cases are split between North Kivu and Ituri, the two main eastern provinces.
The big picture: DR Congo explained: politics, economy and conflict in one read.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Ebola cases are there in Congo?
Congo’s government data show 11,042 confirmed cases and 5,387 deaths reported on 10 and 11 November 2026.
Is this the biggest Ebola outbreak ever?
No. It is the second-largest, and second-deadliest by the totals, behind the 2014 to 2016 West African outbreak, which infected more than 28,600 people.
Is there a vaccine for the Bundibugyo species?
No. No treatment or vaccine is approved for this species of Ebola.
Can non-citizens who were in Congo enter the US?
A CDC order has barred them, most recently through 10 November, and we could not confirm a later extension. Rules for US citizens differ, so check with your airline.
Sources
Democratic Republic of Congo health authorities, case and death totals reported 10 and 11 November 2026 · World Health Organization, Disease Outbreak News, 7 September 2026 update · US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ebola outbreak situation summary · Polymarket, Ebola pandemic in 2026?, 11 November 2026
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