DR CONGO · HEALTH
Key Facts
- What is happening Ebola has killed 4,992 confirmed patients in Congo as of 28 October 2026, eight short of 5,000.
- Why it matters Nearly half of confirmed patients have died, the virus has reached Kenya and Nigeria, and no vaccine or treatment is approved.
- The numbers Congo has 10,274 confirmed cases and 4,992 deaths as of 28 October; Kenya has 9 cases and 2 deaths, and Nigeria has 1 case.
- Who is who INSP, Congo’s national public health institute, counts cases; the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publish international totals.
- What to watch Whether the next official Congolese count confirms more than 5,000 deaths, and whether any new country confirms a case after Kenya and Nigeria.
- Prediction markets Polymarket, an online prediction market, gives 2.5% to the WHO calling Ebola a pandemic in 2026 (2 November, 1:55 p.m. ET).
- What it means for you Anyone in Congo within 21 days cannot board a US-bound commercial flight; all US-bound passengers must attest from Tuesday, 3 November.
Congo’s Ebola outbreak has killed 4,992 confirmed patients as of 28 October. Cases have also reached Kenya and Nigeria.
Ebola caused by the Bundibugyo virus has killed 4,992 confirmed patients in Congo as of Wednesday, 28 October 2026. That count comes from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), America’s national public health agency.
No official Congolese or international count after 28 October could be found at a primary source. That date is therefore the latest verified record, and 5,000 deaths has not yet been confirmed.
The outbreak matters to US readers because Washington restricts travel from Congo and adds a flight rule on Tuesday, 3 November. The virus has also been confirmed in Kenya and Nigeria.
In Plain English
Ebola is a severe viral disease that spreads through contact with the body fluids of sick people. Bundibugyo is one of its virus species, and no approved vaccine or treatment exists for it.
A confirmed case is one proven by a laboratory test. Congo’s health system is divided into health zones, which are local districts of health services.
What the Official Counts Show
The World Health Organization (WHO), the UN health agency, counted 9,704 cases and 4,687 deaths in Congo as of 20 October. That means 48.3% of confirmed patients died, or nearly one in two.
The CDC counted 10,274 confirmed cases and 4,992 deaths as of 28 October. That is 570 more cases and 305 more deaths than WHO’s count eight days earlier.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) relays figures from INSP, Congo’s national public health institute. Its update of 28 October listed 10,141 cases, 4,928 deaths and 2,708 recoveries as of 27 October.
The outbreak is concentrated in Ituri, a north-eastern province, which had 7,040 cases and 3,271 deaths by 20 October. Cases spanned 66 health zones in eight provinces.
How Far the Virus Has Travelled
Kenya announced its first confirmed case on Tuesday, 6 October, an infection imported from Congo. The CDC and the ECDC now list 9 cases and 2 deaths there, all linked to that first case.
WHO says the first patient was an adult man who died in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, and 135 contacts were traced and quarantined. The ECDC dates the second death to 23 October.
Nigeria confirmed one imported case in its capital, Abuja, on Tuesday, 20 October, in a patient who had travelled to Uganda. The patient was flown to Switzerland, and more than 50 contacts were under follow-up on 26 October.
Uganda had 20 confirmed cases earlier in the outbreak, and the CDC lists no active cases there. France has one past case, with the last patient released from care on 4 July.
WHO counts five affected countries since the outbreak was declared on 15 May 2026. It advises against any restriction of travel to, or trade with, affected countries.
Why the Outbreak Is Hard to Stop
WHO says health workers followed up 79.7% of 30,130 contacts on the last day counted, below its 95% target. Contact follow-up means checking everyone who met a sick person.
A vaccine trial named TUMAINI began on Friday, 23 October, with the first volunteers enrolled in Bunia, the capital of Ituri. It tests a vaccine against a virus that has no approved shots.
WHO rated the national risk very high and the regional risk high in an assessment dated 14 August. It rated the global risk low and is now revising the assessment.
What It Means for US Readers
The CDC bars travellers who were in Congo within 21 days from boarding commercial flights to the United States. US citizens should stay outside Congo for 21 days before entering, including after a stop there.
From 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, 3 November, every passenger on an international flight to the United States must sign an attestation. It states that the passenger has not been in Congo in the 21 days before departure.
The CDC tells Americans to avoid all travel to Ituri and Nord-Kivu provinces and to reconsider nonessential travel to Haut-Uele and Tshopo. It rates Kenya at Level 1, the lowest level, which means usual precautions.
What Prediction Markets Say
Polymarket, an online prediction market, gives 2.5% to the WHO calling Ebola a pandemic in 2026. It had US$810,963 traded as of 1:55 p.m. Eastern on Monday, 2 November 2026.
A separate Polymarket contract gives 16.5% to a confirmed Ebola case in the United States in 2026. It has only US$11,551 traded, so its price can move easily.
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 Is Not Known
No official count after 28 October was found at a primary source. Agency totals also differ because each uses its own cut-off date.
WHO listed 1 death in Kenya as of 20 October, and the ECDC dates the second death to 23 October. That is after WHO’s cut-off, so the figures do not conflict.
The current condition of the Nigerian patient was not found in the sources checked. WHO’s risk assessment dates from 14 August and is under revision, with no new date found.
What Comes Next
Congolese health authorities publish situation reports, and the WHO and CDC update their summaries regularly. The next fixed date is Tuesday, 3 November, when the US flight attestation takes effect.
A count above 5,000 deaths would be a milestone, not a sign of a turning point. It does not show that the outbreak is slowing or that a vaccine is close.
Related Coverage
Earlier reporting covers the 10,000-case milestone and the US flight attestation. Background is in DR Congo politics, DR Congo geopolitics and the DR Congo news hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people have died of Ebola in Congo?
The CDC counted 4,992 confirmed deaths and 10,274 confirmed cases in Congo as of 28 October 2026. That is eight short of 5,000 deaths.
Which countries outside Congo have Ebola cases?
Kenya has 9 cases and 2 deaths, and Nigeria has 1 case. Uganda and France had cases earlier, and the CDC lists no active cases in either.
Is there a vaccine for this Ebola strain?
No vaccine or treatment is approved for the Bundibugyo virus. A vaccine trial named TUMAINI began on 23 October in Bunia.
Can Americans travel to Congo?
The CDC says Americans should avoid all travel to Ituri and Nord-Kivu provinces. Anyone who was in Congo within 21 days cannot board a US-bound commercial flight.
Sources: WHO Disease Outbreak News 622; US CDC Ebola situation summary; ECDC Bundibugyo virus updates; ECDC update of 28 October (all accessed 2 November 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief