Congo's confirmed Ebola cases exceed 9,000 as containment efforts falter

The number of confirmed cases in Ebola’s deadly outbreak has surpassed 9,000 in relentless community transmission as efforts to contain it falter, data from the Congolese health ministry shows. There have now been 9,066 confirmed cases recorded, with 4,381 deaths, representing nearly half of conf...

Posted 10/13/2026, 5:53:15 PM A mobile lab is set up to test for Ebola virus in Butembo, Congo, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Sebastien Kitsa Musayi) BUNIA, Congo (AP) — Confirmed cases in Congo’s Ebola outbreak have surpassed 9,000 as efforts to contain transmission falter, according to health ministry data released Tuesday.

The ministry reported 9,066 confirmed cases and 4,381 deaths — a death toll equivalent to nearly half the confirmed cases. Other WRAL Top Stories The rising death toll has alarmed health workers and authorities, with a large share of recorded deaths occurring outside treatment centers.

The latest report said “community transmission remains a concern,” with 88 new confirmed cases recorded. The outbreak has created new hot spots as it spreads to more communities, with 65 health zones across seven provinces now affected. Last week, Kenya became the first country since Uganda to record an Ebola case imported from Congo, deepening concern about wider regional spread of the virus.

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