--- title: "Ebola Outbreak in DRC: Nearly 5,000 Dead and Threat to Neighboring Countries" description: "In the DRC, the number of Ebola cases (Bundibugyo strain) has reached 10,060, with 4,887 deaths. The virus has crossed the borders of Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda; there is currently no approved vaccine against this strain." date: 2026-10-28T02:28:36.848Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ebola-outbreak-drc-bundibugyo tags: [ebola, drc, africa, outbreak, public-health, bundibugyo] author: "Inna Kinsheva" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Ebola Outbreak in DRC: Nearly 5,000 Dead and Threat to Neighboring Countries ![Female scientist in a laboratory working with a micropipette during virus research](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/28/vspyshka-eboly-v-dr-kongo-bundibugyo/vspyshka-eboly-v-dr-kongo-bundibugyo-1.webp) ## Key Points - In the DRC, 10,060 Ebola cases and 4,887 deaths have been confirmed; the outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain. - The virus has spread to Kenya (9 cases), Nigeria (1 case), and Uganda (20 cases, outbreak ended in late August). - There is no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo strain; drug trials and testing of the Ervebo vaccine are underway. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to face one of the most massive Ebola outbreaks in recent years. According to the latest data, the number of confirmed infection cases has reached 10,060, and the death toll has exceeded 4,887 people. The infection, caused by the Bundibugyo strain, began spreading in mid-May and, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), has become the fastest-spreading among all recorded outbreaks of this disease. ### The Virus Crossed Borders of Several Countries The epidemic has spread beyond the DRC and affected neighboring states. In Kenya, nine infection cases have been recorded, with two infected individuals dying; according to local authorities, the first patient arrived in Nairobi from the DRC via Uganda, and all subsequent cases are linked to them. In Nigeria, one case of Ebola has been confirmed. In Uganda, 20 cases and two deaths were registered during the current outbreak, but at the end of August, authorities announced the end of the local outbreak after 42 days without new cases. ### The Bundibugyo Strain and Diagnostic Challenges The Ebola virus is transmitted through direct contact with blood and other biological fluids of an infected person. The main symptoms are fever, diarrhea, and bleeding. In the early stages, the disease can resemble malaria, which complicates the timely recognition of the infection. There is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment specifically against the Bundibugyo strain, which increases the risks of further spread. ### Clinical Trials and Search for Therapy Clinical trials of two antiviral drugs have been ongoing since July. Researchers are also testing whether the Ervebo vaccine, developed against another Ebola virus variant, can provide protection against the Bundibugyo strain as well. Previously in the DRC, more than 250 people joined a trial of the experimental drug Obeldesivir, which may help prevent disease progression after exposure to an infected person. ### International Response In the summer, France recorded its first-ever case of Ebola in Europe, and an American doctor infected in the DRC was treated in a specialized unit at Berlin's Charité hospital. The World Health Organization previously warned that the new outbreak in Africa risks becoming larger than the 2014 epidemic. Amid risks of virus importation, a number of countries have tightened sanitary control at borders, including Russia's Rospotrebnadzor, which reported increased inspections of arrivals from states with confirmed Ebola cases. ## Accounts differ ### Number of infected and dead from Ebola in the DRC - **RBC (primary source):** 10,060 infection cases and 4,887 deaths have been confirmed. ([rbc.ua](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/virus-ebola-kongo-nabirae-obertiv-zaginuli-1793153631.html)) - **Dr. Nadezhda Chernyshova in a commentary for aif.ru / mail.ru:** To date, there are 7,200 sick people, of whom 3,500 have died. ([news.mail.ru](https://news.mail.ru/society/72374049/)) *Where they agree:* All sources confirm a large ongoing Ebola outbreak in the DRC with high mortality and spread to neighboring countries. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Вирус Эбола в Конго набирает обороты: погибли почти 5000 человек](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/virus-ebola-kongo-nabirae-obertiv-zaginuli-1793153631.html) - Primary source: 10,060 cases, 4,887 deaths, Bundibugyo strain, spread to Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, drug trials. - [Вспышка смертельного вируса: врач сказала, чем Эбола грозит россиянам](https://news.mail.ru/society/72374049/) - Confirms the scale of the outbreak and Rospotrebnadzor's tightened control; cites lower figures (7,200 / 3,500), likely an earlier data slice. - [В ДР Конго тестируют препарат от вируса Эбола: кому он поможет](https://www.obozrevatel.com/section-novosti-mir/news-u-dr-konho-testuyut-preparat-vid-virusu-ebola-komu-vin-dopomozhe-04-10-2026.html) - Context: Bundibugyo is one of six ebolavirus strains, causing hemorrhagic fever. - [Американского врача, заразившегося Эболой в ДР Конго, лечат в берлинской клинике «Шарите»](https://www.rfi.fr/ru/%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B0/20260522-%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE-%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%87%D0%B0-%D0%B7%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B7%D0%B8%D0%B2%D1%88%D0%B5%D0%B3%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%8F-%D1%8D%D0%B1%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B9-%D0%B2-%D0%B4%D1%80-%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B3%D0%BE-%D0%BB%D0%B5%D1%87%D0%B0%D1%82-%D0%B2-%D0%B1%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B9-%D0%BA%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B5-%D1%88%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5) - Confirms the infection case of a medical worker in the DRC and treatment in Europe (Berlin, Charité). ## FAQ ### How many people have been infected and died from Ebola in the DRC? According to the primary source, 10,060 infection cases and 4,887 deaths have been confirmed. Some expert comments cite lower figures (around 7,200 infected), which may reflect an earlier data slice. ### Which virus strain caused the outbreak? The outbreak was caused by the Bundibugyo strain, which, according to Africa CDC assessments, is spreading faster than in previously registered Ebola outbreaks. ### To which countries has the virus spread? Cases have been recorded in Kenya (9), Nigeria (1), and Uganda (20; the local outbreak there was declared ended in late August). ### Is there a vaccine or treatment for this strain? There is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment specifically against the Bundibugyo strain. Clinical trials of two antiviral drugs, testing of cross-protection from the Ervebo vaccine, and trials of the drug Obeldesivir are underway.