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Authorities in the DRC confirm the spread of the Ebola outbreak in North Ubangi province, the eighth region affected by the epidemic

Raluca Ioana Draghici

19 October 2026, 09:16

Health

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The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has spread to North Ubangi province, which borders the Central African Republic, health authorities announced on Sunday. The National Institute for Biomedical Research confirmed two cases, one of which resulted in the patient’s death. The newly affected province becomes the eighth in the DRC where the virus has been identified.

The spread of the outbreak represents a new challenge for authorities trying to limit transmission of the disease. The other affected provinces are North Kivu, Ituri, Haut-Uele, Tshopo, South Kivu, Bas-Uele and South Ubangi. According to the latest report from the Congolese authorities, 67 new cases and 26 deaths were recorded in the 24 hours through October 16. The total toll has reached 9,415 cases and 4,536 deaths since the beginning of the epidemic.

The outbreak remains concentrated in the east of the country, with Ituri province reporting 44 of the new cases. The virus has also spread across the DRC’s borders, with cases reported in Uganda and Kenya. In Kenya, the total number of cases has reached eight following confirmation that a 49-year-old man, a caregiver exposed to a previously diagnosed patient, was infected.

Context: Ebola in the DRC was reported as an expanding epidemic, with multiple outbreaks and a major impact in Ituri Province

In previous reports, the Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was described as still active and expanding, with intense transmission in certain areas. The WHO reported that, although there were signs of a decline in the worst-affected areas of Ituri, the outbreak continued to cause deaths and spread to other regions.

Congolese authorities had previously reported an increase in the number of cases and deaths since the beginning of the epidemic, while experts warned that the actual number of infections could be higher due to unreported cases. At the same time, it was noted that the epidemic could not be treated as a single outbreak, but rather as several active outbreaks, particularly in a vast region such as North Kivu.

At the same time, difficulties related to controlling the epidemic were highlighted, including the fact that a significant proportion of deaths occurred in communities, not in hospitals. There was no vaccine or specific treatment for the strain involved (Bundibugyo), and efforts focused on the rapid development of vaccines and treatments, alongside investigations into possible mutations and ongoing clinical trials.