The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has passed 11,000 confirmed cases, making it one of the worst on record. In better news, Kenya discharged its last Ebola patient on 11 November 2026 and has started a 42-day countdown to being declared Ebola-free.
An Ebola treatment unit during a previous outbreak (file photo). Photo: CDC Global / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus. It began in the DRC in May 2026 and has since reached eight Congolese provinces. Cases linked to it have also been reported in Uganda, Kenya and Nigeria.
- DR Congo: 11,114 confirmed cases and 5,433 deaths (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, ECDC, data up to 10 November)
- Kenya: 9 confirmed cases, 2 deaths, 7 recovered; last patient discharged on 11 November
- Nigeria: 1 case reported on 20 October in a person who had travelled to Uganda; the patient was medically evacuated to Switzerland
- Uganda: the outbreak there has ended (ECDC)
- Vaccine or approved treatment: none yet for the Bundibugyo strain; candidates are in clinical trials
Why the numbers you see online are different
You may see different figures in different reports. That is normal during a fast-moving outbreak, because each organisation counts at a different time:
- ECDC reports 11,114 cases and 5,433 deaths in the DRC, using data up to 10 November.
- The DRC government, as reported by Al Jazeera and AP on 11 November, gave 11,042 cases and 5,387 deaths.
Both point to the same picture: more than 11,000 people infected and around half of them dead. Faddabah Newsroom tip: when you share Ebola figures, always say which organisation they come from and the date.
Kenya: 42 days to go
Kenya's Health Cabinet Secretary, Aden Duale, announced on 11 November that the country's last Ebola patient had left hospital. Kenya recorded nine cases in total, all linked to one imported case: a patient who travelled from the DRC through Uganda and infected four family members and four health workers. The first patient and his mother died; the other seven recovered.
The 42-day countdown is twice the longest incubation period of the disease. If no new case is recorded, Kenya can be declared Ebola-free. Prevention measures will stay in place until 23 December.
The World Health Organization's Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, praised Kenya "for their preparedness, surveillance, swift response and continued vigilance."
Travel restrictions
- Saudi Arabia suspended visas for Kenyans indefinitely on 30 October, affecting hundreds of workers. Kenya has asked it to reconsider.
- Kenya screens arrivals at its main airport, and Kenyans returning from the DRC must complete a 21-day quarantine.
No approved vaccine yet
The licensed Ebola vaccine (Ervebo) protects against the Zaire strain, not Bundibugyo. Several candidate vaccines and treatments are being tested in trials, including in the DRC and the UK, but none has yet been approved.
How to protect yourself
- Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of a sick person or someone who has died of Ebola, or with contaminated materials.
- Avoid touching sick people's body fluids, and wash your hands often with soap and water.
- Follow safe burial guidance from health officials, and do not wash or touch the bodies of people who died of suspected Ebola.
- Seek medical care quickly if you develop fever, weakness, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding, especially after travel to an affected area.
- Follow official updates from your national health ministry and the WHO, and do not share unverified figures.
Sources
- ECDC: Ebola disease multi-country outbreak 2026 (updated 12 November)
- Al Jazeera (AP): Kenya discharges last Ebola patient, awaits disease-free status
- Citizen Digital: Kenya nears Ebola-free countdown
- IPPS: Bundibugyo vaccines and treatments in development
This article is for general information. For medical advice, contact a qualified health worker or your national health authority.
Faddabah Newsroom checks every story before publishing. Spotted an error? Contact us and we will correct it.
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