Ebola virus: More than 5,000 dead in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Virus continues to spread More than 5,000 Ebola deaths in the DR Congo As of: October 31, 2026 • 12:45 p.m

Ebola infections in the Democratic Republic of Congo continue to increase. More than 5,000 people have died since May and more than 10,000 are considered infected. There is no end in sight, but perhaps there is a vaccine.

The Democratic Republic of Congo in Central Africa reports 5,026 deaths from the Ebola virus. This puts the mortality rate of the virus at almost 50 percent of all infected people. At least 10,351 patients are considered infected with the highly dangerous virus, the country announced. More than 1,000 people are currently being treated or observed in quarantine by local health authorities.

2,788 people are considered recovered so far. Experts assume that the number of unreported cases of infected people is significantly higher - also because the outbreak was discovered far too late.

The east of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the Ituri region is particularly badly affected by the Ebola outbreak.

"This is a very tragic milestone because it's not just a number," says Dr. Patrick Otim, program area manager at the World Health Organization (WHO) with a view to the people who died. "It is families and communities that have been hit hard by this outbreak. The number also highlights the severity of this outbreak."

More than 10,000 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo have so far contracted the infectious disease. more

The so-called Bundibugyo pathogen is one of the six known Ebola variants. It was first discovered in 2007. The course of the disease is often life-threatening - especially in areas with poor health care, according to the African health authority Africa CDC. The virus is transmitted by both infected animals and infected people. The transmission medium is body fluid or simple contact with contaminated objects. The improper burial of infected dead is also considered a common cause of infection.

Infections are regularly discovered too late. The initial symptoms of Ebola can easily be confused with malaria.

Number of Ebola deaths in Congo rises to more than 5,000 tagesschau24, October 31, 2026 • 9:00 a.m. Challenges of fighting the virus It's not just medical problems that are challenging health workers. In eastern Congo, where the outbreak is centered, there is conflict between the government and a number of armed groups, most notably the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group. There is also an Islamist insurgency movement in the border areas with Uganda. All of this further limits the scope of action of medical staff.

There is also widespread skepticism among the population towards government organizations. This led to a series of attacks on health workers and health facilities. A nurse was killed last week during an operation following a suspected Ebola infection, and a ruling party politician was murdered in September after advocating for health measures on the radio.

WHO chief Tedros calls on partners to finance the Congolese government's measures more quickly. more

A total of 31 cases were reported outside the Democratic Republic of Congo - including in Uganda, Nigeria and Kenya. At least four people died outside the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The only case so far in Europe was detected in France in June. A doctor who previously worked in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo tested positive. He was later released from the hospital as recovered.

In Nigeria, the wife of a Swiss diplomat tested positive. She had previously been in Uganda for a long time - she was treated in an isolation ward in the capital Abuja and later flown to Switzerland, according to the Swiss authorities. The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that the virus will spread further - but border closures to the Democratic Republic of Congo should not be closed so far.

If you would like to donate to the people of the DR Congo, you can find aid organizations and bank details here. more

The first clinical studies to develop two antiviral therapy methods have been running since June. The current focus of research is whether the vaccines against the Ervebo strain of the Ebola virus are also effective against the current Bundibugyo outbreak.

There is currently no vaccine against the Ebola variant Bundibugyo, which is currently rampant in DR Congo. more

The vaccination study started on site in the Democratic Republic on October 23rd. Vaccine researcher Leonie Meyer from the UKE in Hamburg has great expectations for the study. Because if it turns out “that there is an effective vaccine, then it could really make a significant contribution to containing this epidemic,” said the researcher.

This topic in the program: tagesschau24 | News | October 31, 2026 | 9:05 a.m