Ebola Outbreak in Congo Shows Mixed Signs as North Kivu Cases Rise
Kinshasa, September 18, 2026: The Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo is showing different trends across affected regions, with health authorities reporting signs of improvement in parts of Ituri while infections continue to increase in North Kivu.
The World Health Organization has reported encouraging developments in some of the areas that have experienced the heaviest transmission in Ituri province. At the same time, officials have warned that the overall outbreak remains active and requires sustained surveillance and response measures.
Transmission Declines in Parts of Ituri
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said transmission has been declining in some of the worst-affected parts of Ituri.
The province remains the main centre of the outbreak, but health teams have reported improvements in several indicators. Authorities are continuing case detection, contact tracing, isolation and other response activities to prevent further transmission.
The UK Health Security Agency’s latest monitoring report said that 5,659 confirmed cases and 2,583 deaths had been reported in Ituri by September 13. It also noted that newly reported cases in the province had been declining since August.
North Kivu Faces Increasing Transmission
The situation is different in North Kivu, where health authorities have recorded a significant increase in cases.
WHO officials said weekly cases in the province had nearly doubled over a two-week period, rising from roughly 100 to more than 200 cases per week. The rapid increase has added pressure on health teams working to contain transmission.
North Kivu is also facing difficult operating conditions, including population movement and security challenges. These factors can make surveillance, contact tracing and access to healthcare more difficult.
Outbreak Has Spread Across Seven Provinces
The latest UK government health surveillance report said that, as of September 13, the DRC had recorded 7,258 confirmed Bundibugyo virus disease cases and 3,510 confirmed deaths.
Cases had been identified across 62 health zones in seven provinces, including Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, South-Ubangi, Haut-Uele, Bas-Uele and Tshopo.
South Kivu has shown a different pattern. WHO officials reported that the province had not recorded new cases since May, although continued monitoring remains important.
Bundibugyo Virus Behind the Outbreak
The current outbreak is being caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a species of Ebola virus.
The outbreak was declared in the Democratic Republic of Congo in May 2026 and has subsequently become the largest recorded Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak. The UK Health Security Agency has described it as the second-largest Ebola disease outbreak recorded to date.
The WHO continues to coordinate with Congolese authorities and international partners on surveillance, clinical management, infection prevention and control and research activities.
Response Efforts Continue
Health authorities are maintaining efforts to identify suspected infections quickly and monitor people who may have been exposed to the virus.
The differing trends between provinces mean that response teams cannot rely on improvement in one area as evidence that the wider outbreak has ended. Continued monitoring remains necessary, particularly in locations where transmission is increasing.
WHO officials have therefore stressed that the recent improvement in parts of Ituri should be viewed alongside the continuing rise in North Kivu and the wider geographical spread of the outbreak.
