Congo's Ebola outbreak tops 11,000 cases as disease keeps spreading

Bunia Congo's Ebola cases have crossed 11,000 cases in another development that shows the severity of the outbreak. https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/ebola-outbreak-democratic-republic-congo-explainer/article71358970.ece Also Read: Congo’s Ebola outbreak tops 10,000 cases as authorities race to slow spread in African countries https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/congos-ebola-outbreak-tops-10000-cases-as-authorities-race-to-slow-spread-in-african-countries/article71630756.ece The latest Health Ministry data on Wednesday (November 11, 2026) showed 11,042 people have been infected by the deadly virus that has now killed 5,387, nearly half of those infected, in the country's deadliest outbreak.

Experts warn of wider spread as Ebola outbreak reaches plateau Experts warn of wider spread as Ebola outbreak reaches plateau A major challenge in Congo is limited contact tracing and collaboration with affected communities; health workers sometimes spend more time trying to convince locals to work with them than giving care Experts warn of wider spread as Ebola outbreak reaches plateau storyline 1 Since the outbreak was declared mid-May, Congolese authorities have struggled to contain it due to a series of factors including conflicts and a health system crisis.

The Bundibugyo virus responsible for this outbreak has no known vaccine or treatment and has spread to the eight of the country's 26 Provinces. https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/bundibugyo-ebolavirus-a-deadly-pathogen/article71015495.ece Dozens of Ebola outbreaks have been reported since the disease was first discovered in 1976.

The largest and deadliest occurred in West Africa from 2014 to 2016, with 28,000 infections and more than 11,000 deaths.

The current outbreak already ranks second, and has had at least three times the number of cases and deaths in the time since it was declared compared with the West Africa outbreak.

Health officials declared the outbreak in May, but medical evidence suggests infections were occurring months earlier.