Ebola Reaches Six DRC Provinces: What Situation Report 14 Shows
WHO's latest situation report records 5,021 confirmed cases and 2,378 deaths in DRC, with Bas-Uele becoming the sixth affected province. Here is what the numbers reveal about spread, surveillance, and response pressure.
The Latest Official Snapshot
The 2026 Bundibugyo virus disease epidemic has expanded into Bas-Uele, making it the sixth province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to report a confirmed case. WHO Regional Office for Africa Situation Report 14, using data through 16 August 2026, records 5,021 confirmed cases and 2,378 deaths in the DRC. The crude case-fatality ratio is 47.4%.
Uganda has separately recorded 20 cases and two deaths. Its outbreak was declared over on 28 July after transmission stopped. Combining both countries gives an outbreak total of 5,041 confirmed cases and 2,380 deaths.
| Indicator | DRC, data through 16 August |
|---|---|
| Confirmed cases | 5,021 |
| Deaths | 2,378 |
| Crude CFR | 47.4% |
| Affected provinces | 6 |
| Affected health zones | 55 of 151 |
| Patients hospitalized in isolation | 751 |
| Recoveries | 1,061 |
| Listed contacts under follow-up | 82.2% |
These figures make this the largest Ebola outbreak recorded in the DRC and the second largest globally. WHO has also described its speed as unprecedented for an Ebola outbreak.
Where Transmission Is Concentrated
The national total can obscure how unevenly the epidemic is distributed. Most reported illness and death remain concentrated in Ituri, followed by North Kivu.
| Province | Confirmed cases | Deaths | Affected health zones |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ituri | 4,257 | 1,878 | 28 of 36 |
| North Kivu | 607 | 428 | 12 of 34 |
| Haut-Uele | 139 | 63 | 6 of 13 |
| Tshopo | 14 | 7 | 7 of 23 |
| South Kivu | 3 | 1 | 1 of 34 |
| Bas-Uele | 1 | 1 | 1 of 11 |
Ituri accounts for roughly 85% of the DRC’s confirmed cases. That concentration matters operationally: treatment beds, laboratories, burial teams, community engagement, and contact-tracing staff are needed most heavily in the same province. At the same time, the appearance of cases in lower-burden provinces means the response cannot focus on Ituri alone.
Why One Case in Bas-Uele Matters
One case does not by itself show extensive local transmission. It does, however, change the geographic risk picture.
A case detected in a new province may represent an imported infection, a previously undetected chain, or the first visible case in a cluster. Investigators need a travel and exposure history, a complete contact list, rapid laboratory testing of suspected cases, and continued surveillance before they can distinguish among those possibilities.
Bas-Uele is north of the main transmission zones in eastern DRC. Its inclusion shows that movement along roads, rivers, trade routes, and mining corridors can carry risk beyond the original outbreak area. WHO has identified insecurity, displacement, and intense population movement as factors sustaining the epidemic.
The correct interpretation is therefore cautious: Bas-Uele currently has a very small reported total, but the detection expands the area requiring active surveillance and preparedness.
The Week-to-Week Change Is Substantial
Compared with Situation Report 13, WHO recorded 640 additional confirmed cases and 367 additional deaths. The crude CFR rose from 45.9% to 47.4%.
An increase in reported cases can reflect several processes at once:
- continued new transmission;
- improved detection of infections that were previously missed;
- reporting delays being cleared;
- retrospective review and harmonization of records.
WHO and ECDC explicitly note that the DRC figures remain under continuous review. A weekly increase should not automatically be treated as a count of infections that all occurred during that week. The data still show sustained transmission and severe pressure on the response, but the reporting interval and the infection interval are not identical.
What the Care and Contact Indicators Tell Us
The 751 patients hospitalized in isolation represent people receiving care while infection-control measures reduce exposure to families and communities. The 1,061 reported recoveries show that survival is possible, especially when patients reach care early and receive intensive supportive treatment.
Contact follow-up is another critical indicator. At 82.2%, more than four in five identified contacts were being followed, but the remaining gap matters. Follow-up teams look for symptoms during the incubation period so that a person who becomes ill can be tested and isolated quickly.
The denominator is also important: a high follow-up percentage only describes contacts who have already been identified. WHO has warned that some people are dying in communities, outside treatment centers, and outside known contact lists. Those events may point to transmission chains that surveillance teams have not yet found.
Uganda’s Outbreak Is Over, but Regional Surveillance Continues
Uganda declared its outbreak over on 28 July 2026, after reporting 20 confirmed cases and two deaths. The last confirmed case was reported on 21 June, and the last hospitalized patient was discharged on 16 July.
That achievement demonstrates the value of rapid case isolation, contact tracing, laboratory testing, and coordinated public communication. It does not eliminate the risk of a new imported case while transmission continues across the border in the DRC.
Cases linked to the DRC have also been diagnosed outside Africa, including in France and in two U.S. citizens medically evacuated to Germany. ECDC reports no secondary transmission from those imported cases and continues to assess the likelihood of infection for people living in the EU/EEA as very low.
What to Watch in the Next Report
The next situation report should be read for more than the headline total. The most useful signals will be:
- whether Bas-Uele identifies additional cases or connected contacts;
- whether any other province or health zone reports its first case;
- whether contact follow-up rises toward complete coverage;
- whether community deaths and cases outside known contact lists decline;
- whether hospital isolation capacity keeps pace with new admissions;
- whether the crude CFR begins to stabilize or fall.
EbolaMap will update its interactive outbreak map, news feed, and active-outbreak statistics when the next official data release becomes available.
Published 20 August 2026. Data through 16 August 2026. Case totals may be revised as national records are reviewed and harmonized.
Sources & editorial review
Page updated August 20, 2026
- WHO AFRO — Bundibugyo virus disease Situation Report 14 (data through 16 August 2026)
- ECDC — Ebola outbreak in DRC and Uganda
- WHO — Opening remarks at the second IHR Emergency Committee meeting (18 August 2026)
Editorial verification: claims are checked against the cited public sources by the EbolaMap Editorial Team. This is not licensed-clinician review and the article is not medical advice. See our Editorial Policy and Corrections Policy.