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A mobile laboratory has been deployed to screen for Ebola in Butembo, Congo, on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Sebastien Kitsa Musayi)
BUNIA – Congo’s Ebola outbreak has now exceeded 9,000 confirmed infections, as public health officials struggle to slow the virus’s spread, according to health ministry figures released Tuesday.
The ministry reported 9,066 confirmed cases and 4,381 deaths, meaning the fatalities represent nearly half of all confirmed infections.
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The escalating death toll has heightened concern among medical workers and government officials. Many of the reported fatalities occurred outside treatment facilities, while the latest update warned that “community transmission remains a concern” after 88 additional confirmed cases were identified.
As Ebola reaches more communities, fresh outbreak hot spots are emerging. Health authorities now report infections in 65 health zones spanning seven provinces.
Regional fears intensified last week when Kenya became the first country since Uganda to report an Ebola case imported from Congo, raising concerns that the virus could spread more widely across neighboring countries.
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