Ebola

[dann]

DR Congo suffers deadliest week in its Ebola outbreak (CIDRAP, Aug 25, 2026)
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) tracked its highest weekly death toll last week, with more than 300 new deaths. The outbreak, centered in centered in Ituri province, has now grown to 5,514 cases and 2,642 deaths caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola.

 

[dann]

There has been considerable experience with ebola and other similar viruses (VHF). They are contagious, spread by touch. They are very different from SARS-CoV 2 which everyone accepted was spread via the respiratory route, the only discussion was the exact details of the infectious particle size. The principle site of entry and reproduction and shedding of SARS-coV-2 was in the lungs, contact with blood, saliva etc. did not appear to be a significant risk for transmission with covid, but is for ebola. Bloodborne isn't a wrong word to use, it doesn't mean in cinical use that it is only spread in blood. Ebola doesn't appear to have as restricted a point of entry as SARS-CoV-2, and replicates in cells of the immune system (a bit like HIV), and then in the circulatory system so virus levels in blood are high. SARS-CoV-2 being found in blood only occurred in about 1/8 patients with covid, and was associated with worse outcomes. In contrast virus in blood seems universal in ebola.

His Throat Carried Ten Times More Ebola Virus Than His Blood, and That Was Not Supposed to Happen (MedicalDaily, Aug 25, 2026)
On day five of illness, an oropharyngeal swab from a 39-year-old American healthcare worker evacuated from the Democratic Republic of the Congo carried roughly 9 x 10⁷ copies of viral RNA per milliliter. His plasma that same day carried about 7 x 10⁶. More than a tenfold difference, with the throat, not the bloodstream, holding the larger load.
The authors flag this directly. Viral concentrations across body compartments differed from previous reports in patients with Ebola virus disease, they write, most notably "the comparatively high concentrations in oropharyngeal swabs."
(...)
If the throat finding holds up in larger series, it could carry practical weight for how healthcare workers are protected during airway and endoscopic procedures. One patient cannot establish that. It can point researchers to the question.

A case of Bundibugyo virus disease treated with monoclonal antibodies and remdesivir (Nature Medicine, Aug 24, 2026)

 

[dann]

Ebola outbreak officially ends in Uganda as CEPI announces new vaccine candidate (CIDRAP, Aug 27, 2026)
The Ebola outbreak in Uganda is over now that 42 days have passed without a new confirmed case since the country’s last patient, who contracted the virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), was discharged from care on July 16.
In total, the country had 20 confirmed cases and two deaths. The news comes as funding for a new candidate vaccine is announced.
“Uganda has demonstrated that with decisive action, Ebola outbreaks can be brought under control quickly,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, World Health Organization director-general.

Mortality of 10% is astonishing.

The outbreak in the DRC, however, still rages on, with the Bundibugyo strain now responsible for 5,656 cases and 2,715 deaths

 

[dann]

Ebola vaccination effort begins in DR Congo (CIDRAP, Aug 28, 2026)
The Associated Press (AP) reports that health and other frontline workers are being prioritized to receive the vaccine, which targets the Zaire Ebola strain but may offer some protection against the Bundibugyo virus. Roughly 50,000 doses of the vaccine have been approved for use in health and frontline workers in DRC, while 20,000 more will be used in a clinical trial.

 

[dann]

Ebola death toll approaches 3,000, as case-fatality rate hovers around 50% (CIDRAP, Aug 31, 2026)
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is now at 6,041 cases and 2,911 deaths, as the Bundibugyo strain has taken hold in North Kivu province.

Ebola kills 3,000 in DR Congo as control efforts aren’t measuring up (CIDRAP, Sep 2, 2026)
“Compared with previous Ebola outbreaks, the increase in cases in DRC is unprecedented, with approximately 5,000 cases in 100 days,” the report said. It assessed cases through August 21.
Most new cases from unknown transmission chains
Most crucially, almost all new cases are being reported outside of known transmission chains. The percentage of confirmed new cases previously identified as known contacts was 15% to 20%, the authors said, and the target in an Ebola outbreak response is above 90%.

Ebola case counts reach 6,250 in DR Congo outbreak (CIDRAP, Sep 3, 2026)
The latest case counts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are 6,250 cases and 3,039 deaths, as the outbreak continues. Transmission activity is still mainly in North Kivu province.
(...)
Because the outbreak area is home to mining operations with transient workers and displaced people, the cell phone data could help predict where help is needed.

 

[dann]

Ebola outbreak in DR Congo tops 6,600 cases (CIDRAP, Sep 8, 2026)
A World Health Organization (WHO) officials says 5,000 more workers are needed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to control the ongoing Ebola outbreak as it spreads geographically and threatens to move into bigger cities outside of the affected provinces, including Kinshasa.
In addition, the WHO said another 1,600 treatment beds are estimated to be needed to meet the demand of what remains the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in world history.
(...)
Outbreak totals include 6,686 confirmed Ebola cases and 3,226 deaths as of yesterday.

 

[dann]

Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus - Democratic Republic of the Congo (WHO, Sep 10, 2026)
Since the last Disease Outbreak News was published on 28 August 2026, the Bundibugyo virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has expanded to one additional health zone, Kayna, in North Kivu. This increase brings the total number of affected health zones to 61 across six out of 26 provinces of the country: Bas-Uélé, Haut-Uélé, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, and Tshopo. As of 7 September 2026, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has reported 6757 confirmed cases, including 3267 deaths, resulting in a crude case fatality ratio (CFR) of 48.3%.

 

[Gubiosak]

I’m also interested in hearing what others have learned about this. Ebola is a serious subject, and I think it’s best to wait for reliable medical information before drawing any conclusions.

 

[Planigale]

I’m also interested in hearing what others have learned about this. Ebola is a serious subject, and I think it’s best to wait for reliable medical information before drawing any conclusions.

What 'reliable medical information' do you want? Happy to provide it. What conclusions are being drawn?

 

[dann]

DR Congo’s Ebola outbreak spreads to 7th province as cases, deaths mount (CIDRAP, Sep 11, 2026)
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has spread to a seventh province as cases rise to 6,843, including 3,310 deaths, according to media reports today.

 

[dann]

Ebola outbreak in DR Congo grows to 7,200 cases as government officials suggest transmission has peaked (CIDRAP, Sep 14, 2026)
he Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has hit another milestone, with 7,200 cases confirmed by the government today and spread of the virus to a seventh province, South Ubangi, late last week.
Of the confirmed cases, nearly half, or 3,475 people, have died from their infections with the Bundibugyo strain of the virus. Contact-tracing rates hover around 88%, still too low for transmission control.

UN says it’s too early to say Ebola in DR Congo has peaked (CIDRAP, Sep 15, 2026)
The United Nations (UN) however, is more cautious in its assessment of the outbreak, which officially began on May 15 but likely started weeks earlier in the area around Bunia, DRC. So far there have been 7,258 confirmed cases and 3,510 deaths across seven provinces.
(...)
The current outbreak is the largest in the DRC’s history, and second in size only to the West African Ebola outbreak in 2014 through 2016. Research published today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report says the first 100 days in DRC show an outbreak that’s expanding faster than any previously documented Ebola outbreak.

 

[dann]

Ebola outbreak in DR Congo approaches 7,800 cases (CIDRAP, Sep 23, 2026)
According to the report, the DRC has 7,773 confirmed cases, including 3,759 deaths, with 40 new confirmed cases and 27 deaths reported during a 48-hour period earlier this week.

 

[dann]

Ebola cases, deaths in DR Congo outbreak near 7,900 and 3,800 as virus spreads to 2 more health zones (CIDRAP, Sep 25, 2026)
Case and death numbers have reached 7,890 and 3,799, respectively, for a crude case-fatality rate (CFR) of 48.1%. “At the national level, the number of new cases reported each day remains high,” the WHO said. “However, the situation varies across the country, with some provinces and health zones experiencing much higher levels of transmission than others.”

 

[dann]

DR Congo Ebola outbreak tops 8,000 cases, with 48% death rate (CIDRAP, Sep 28, 2026)
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has now topped 8,000 cases, with officials confirming 8,067 cases and 3,901 deaths since mid-May, for a 48% case-fatality rate (CFR). The outbreak is the second-largest in history, but the fastest-growing on record.
Despite some tentative remarks last week from DRC officials who suggested transmission may have peaked, the latest Disease Outbreak News update from the World Health Organization (WHO) describes an outbreak that is entrenched in seven provinces, with an early-September resurgence of activity.
Timely case detection remains a challenge

 

[dann]

DR Congo Ebola cases grow, deaths top 4,000 as officials struggle to ascertain numbers, trends (CIDRAP, Oct 2, 2026)
The largest-ever Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has reached 8,300 infections and 4,018 deaths, as a Medicines Sans Frontieres (MSF) staff member is evacuated after testing positive for the virus.
The staff member was medically evacuated to the Netherlands after testing positive for Ebola on September 29, according to an MSF press release yesterday. Fifty healthcare workers have died of Ebola since the outbreak was declared in May, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said in a special briefing yesterday.