The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has spread to six provinces and 60 health zones, with 6,206 confirmed cases and 3,009 deaths, Africa CDC says.
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) remains extremely serious, with the disease spreading to six provinces and 60 health zones, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has warned.
According to the continental public health agency, the outbreak has recorded 6,206 confirmed cases and 3,009 deaths, highlighting the growing scale of the health emergency.
Africa CDC said the outbreak, which was officially declared on May 15, 2026, initially affected only one province and two health zones. By September 1, however, transmission had expanded to six provinces and 60 health zones.
The affected area now covers approximately 240,000 square kilometres, an area comparable in size to the United Kingdom and nearly five times the size of Switzerland.
In a statement shared on its official social media channels, Africa CDC said the situation continued to evolve despite ongoing response efforts by the Congolese government and its partners.
The agency described the outbreak as its highest priority, stressing that efforts to contain transmission would continue until the situation was brought under control.
Africa CDC said it was working closely with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners to support the DRC government and strengthen surveillance, response and containment measures.
The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a strain of Ebola first identified in Uganda in 2007. The outbreak was confirmed in the DRC in May after cases were detected in Ituri Province.
The rapid increase in cases has raised concerns among health authorities. Reuters reported on September 3 that health officials have begun using anonymised mobile-phone movement data to help track population movements and identify areas at risk of further transmission.
The latest figures represent a substantial escalation from the early stages of the outbreak. On June 23, the WHO reported that the DRC had already recorded more than 1,000 confirmed cases during the first month, describing the pace of spread as unprecedented compared with previous Ebola outbreaks in the country.
Africa CDC has urged continued coordination among national authorities, international health organisations and other partners as efforts intensify to interrupt transmission and bring the outbreak under control.
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