The World Health Organization’s latest Disease Outbreak News on the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, published on 23 October 2026 with figures up to 20 October, shows the epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo still growing, and highlights the risk to health workers when infection prevention and control (IPC) fails.
The numbers
| Country | Cases | Deaths | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| DR Congo | 9,704 confirmed | 4,687 | 66 health zones in 8 provinces; Ituri worst affected (7,040 cases, 3,271 deaths); 976 new cases since the previous report |
| Kenya | 9 | 1 | One imported case who died on 5 October; 8 linked cases, 4 of them health and care workers; all 135 contacts traced and quarantined |
| Nigeria | 1 | 0 | Imported case in Abuja; 44 contacts identified in the WHO report (later reports cite 52 being monitored). The patient has since been evacuated to Switzerland |
| Uganda, France | Cases reported; Uganda’s outbreak was declared over in August | ||
The crude case fatality rate in DR Congo is 48.3%, with 2,595 recoveries. Contact follow-up in the DRC reached 79.7% of 30,130 contacts, below the target of 95%. Missed contacts are a major reason outbreaks keep spreading.
Health workers in Kenya
The most striking detail for nurses is from Kenya: of the eight people infected by the country’s imported case, four were health and care workers. This is a familiar pattern in Ebola outbreaks: the first case often arrives before anyone suspects Ebola, and staff caring for that patient with only standard precautions are exposed. WHO notes that inadequate IPC in health-care settings amplifies transmission.
Vaccine and treatment trials
There is still no approved vaccine or specific treatment for Bundibugyo virus disease. The licensed Ebola vaccine (Ervebo) and antibody treatments target the Zaire species. WHO reports that the TUMAINI Phase 2/3 trial of candidate vaccines launched on 23 October, with the first participants enrolled in Bunia, Ituri province. WHO has also announced a clinical trial of treatments. Health workers and contacts are typically among the priority groups in such trials.
Without a specific treatment, WHO stresses that rapid recognition, testing and optimised supportive care (fluids, electrolyte correction, oxygen and treating other infections) can reduce deaths. Much of that supportive care is delivered by nurses.
WHO’s risk assessment
- DR Congo: very high.
- Countries bordering DR Congo: high.
- Rest of the African Region and globally: low.
WHO says it is revising this assessment, last made on 14 August, given spread to more countries. It continues to advise against restrictions on travel or trade with affected countries.
What nurses everywhere should take from this
- Ask about travel and contacts for every patient with fever, especially travel to DR Congo, neighbouring countries or Kenya.
- Standard precautions with every patient, every time: hand hygiene, gloves for blood and body fluids, eye protection for splashes. See our precautions guide.
- If Ebola is suspected, isolate first and escalate, using full PPE with a trained observer for doffing. See our PPE guide.
- Don’t assume malaria just because the test is positive.
- Report exposures immediately so you can be monitored.
Read also: Nurse killed while responding to an Ebola alert in DR Congo · Kenya’s health workers infected · Nigeria’s IPC readiness drive
Source: WHO Disease Outbreak News, Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus – Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya and Nigeria (DON622), 23 October 2026; Al Jazeera and UN News for later Nigeria contact figures.