Ebola outbreak rebounds in DRC as cross-border spread heightens concerns

Ebola outbreak rebounds in DRC as cross-border spread heightens concerns - A health worker puts on a protective suit at an Ebola treatment center in Bunia, capital of Ituri Province in the DRC, on October 12, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua)

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention warned Tuesday that the outbreak had become the most geographically widespread Ebola epidemic on record, with infections reported across Central, Eastern and Western Africa.

Ebola infections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have rebounded after a brief decline, while the virus's spread to other African countries is complicating efforts to contain an outbreak that has already claimed more than 4,600 lives, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned in its latest situation report Wednesday.

"The most recent seven-day moving average indicates a modest upward trend, suggesting renewed intensification of transmission," the WHO Regional Office for Africa said in the report, highlighting the outbreak's "widening international dimension and the growing complexity."

The DRC recorded 1,466 confirmed cases between September 29 and October 19, up 10.4 per cent from the preceding 21-day period, while confirmed deaths rose 7.5 per cent to 692, according to the report. As of October 19, the DRC had recorded 9,637 confirmed cases and 4,646 deaths across eight of its 26 provinces.

Meanwhile, the outbreak's international spread has added a new layer of complexity to containment efforts.

Kenya has reported nine confirmed cases, including one death, with all eight secondary infections linked to an imported case and detected among people already under quarantine, according to the WHO report.

Nigeria confirmed its first case on Tuesday, involving a woman who had travelled from Uganda earlier this month. The WHO warned that the prolonged interval between symptom onset and laboratory confirmation raised concerns about "potentially undetected exposures and secondary transmission".

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The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention warned Tuesday that the outbreak had become the most geographically widespread Ebola epidemic on record, with infections reported across Central, Eastern and Western Africa.

In its latest assessment, the WHO said the outbreak remained "at a critical juncture," warning that escalating insecurity, population displacement and restricted humanitarian access in the DRC were "further challenging response operations and increasing the risk of undetected transmission".