Ebola cases in DR Congo exceed 9,000 as Kenya monitors contacts.
Is it spreading beyond DR Congo?
Spread confirmed
As of 13 October 2026, Kenya has reported an imported Ebola case involving a traveler who died in Nairobi on 5 October 2026 after traveling through Uganda from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with no onward transmission confirmed after 293 tested samples returned negative.
Sources: Al JazeeraAfricanewsAfricanews 2ReutersBBCKey figures
| Figure | Value | Basis | As of | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total confirmed Ebola cases in DR Congo Stated by DR Congo government reports and health officials. | > 9,000 | Official | Sources: ReutersAssociated PressCIDRAPAl Jazeera | |
| Frontline workers vaccinated in BRAVO trial Stated by MSF and Epicentre as part of a study targeting 20,000 frontline workers. | 857 | Press reports | Sources: Actualite.cdRadio Okapi | |
| Negative Ebola tests conducted in Kenya Stated by Kenyan authorities following an imported case. | 293 | Official | Sources: AfricanewsReuters |
Who says what
| Who | Says | Date | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo | Ebola infections in the country have surpassed 9,000. | Sources: Reuters | |
| United Nations | The Ebola outbreak in the DR Congo is growing exponentially, and funding for the Ebola response must not compromise assistance for conflict and hunger. | Sources: DWRadio OkapiReliefWeb (UN OCHA) | |
| Africa CDC | An Ebola case detected in Kenya exposed failures in contact tracing efforts. | Sources: Devex | |
| Kenyan Ministry of Health | No new Ebola cases have been recorded in Kenya following 293 negative test results after an imported case died on 5 October. | Sources: AfricanewsCIDRAP | |
| World Health Organization | Ebola cases in the DR Congo are likely to rise as containment efforts continue. | Sources: ReutersReliefWeb (UN OCHA) |
Summary
As of 13 October 2026, confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have surpassed 9,000 according to government reports and health officials, while the United Nations has warned that the outbreak is growing exponentially. International aid agencies and local authorities are expanding contact tracing, school prevention supplies, and community surveillance across Ituri and North Kivu provinces.
In Kenya, health authorities confirmed an imported Ebola case after a traveler who passed through Uganda died in Nairobi on 5 October 2026. Subsequent tests on 293 samples in Kenya returned negative, and officials reported no new cases over the past week, although Africa CDC noted that the imported case exposed failures in contact tracing efforts.
Vaccination efforts under the BRAVO study led by MSF and Epicentre have immunized 857 frontline workers in Ituri and North Kivu toward a target of 20,000, while Moderna has initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial for a vaccine targeting the outbreak strain.
Timeline
- A traveler from the DR Congo via Uganda dies of Ebola in Nairobi, marking Kenya's first confirmed imported case.Sources: AfricanewsBBC
- WHO warns DR Congo Ebola cases are likely to rise, while 12 young people are arrested in Biakato for threatening response teams.Sources: ReutersActualite.cd
- MSF and Epicentre report 857 frontline workers vaccinated in Ituri and North Kivu under the BRAVO trial.Sources: Actualite.cd
- Moderna begins Phase 1 clinical trial for an Ebola vaccine targeting the DR Congo strain, and an American doctor tests positive for Ebola in DR Congo.Sources: ABC NewsABC News 2
- The UN states the DR Congo outbreak is growing exponentially, while Kenyan officials report no new cases after 293 negative tests.Sources: DWAfricanews
- DR Congo government reports indicate total Ebola cases have passed 9,000 as 150 motorcycle taxi drivers in Ituri are mobilized for community surveillance.Sources: ReutersActualite.cdReliefWeb (UN OCHA)
Still unknown
- Whether contact tracing systems in Kenya and regional border areas can prevent secondary transmission.
- How severe water shortages in regional schools will affect hygiene measures and outbreak containment.
- The full extent of unrecorded cases in remote or conflict-affected zones of eastern DR Congo.