By Onyx Bugett | TalkLife News
Originally published September 26, 2026; updated September 28, 2026
Confirmed infections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s ongoing Ebola outbreak have passed 8,000. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said Monday that Congo had reported 8,067 confirmed cases and 3,901 related deaths as of September 27, based on data through September 26. The totals rose by 78 cases and 49 deaths compared with the previous daily report. These are official surveillance figures and may be revised.
Seven provinces have reported cases. Ituri is the hardest-hit, with 6,155 cases and 2,834 deaths reported; North Kivu has reported 1,523 cases and 906 deaths. The agency says 773 patients were hospitalized in isolation and 2,070 people diagnosed with the Bundibugyo virus had recovered. The sheer geographic spread is complicating an already difficult response.
Why this outbreak remains difficult to control
The World Health Organization previously reported that transmission was declining in some of the most affected parts of Ituri while cases were rising quickly in North Kivu. Health teams need to find contacts, support affected families and safely care for patients across multiple areas, some affected by insecurity and displacement. Progress in one province does not mean the outbreak has ended elsewhere.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids. It does not spread through ordinary distant contact like flu. ECDC estimates the general risk of an imported case in Europe remains very low, while stressing that the outbreak’s local toll is severe. Reporting should keep attention on the people facing the danger without suggesting every distant community is at immediate risk.
TalkLife News first reported the outbreak’s spread to additional health zones on September 26. Today’s updated case totals are a significant new development. We will continue to attribute figures to health authorities and identify any revisions.
Sources: ECDC daily Ebola update, September 28; Reuters, September 25.