Ebola reaches 10,172 cases and 4,932 deaths in five countries
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on MyJoyOnline
The Ebola outbreak linked to the Bundibugyo virus had reached 10,172 confirmed cases and 4,932 deaths in five countries and territories as of 26 October, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Africa CDC is urging African countries to strengthen cross-border cooperation to contain the spread, reports MyJoyOnline.
The Ebola outbreak linked to the Bundibugyo virus had reached 10,172 confirmed cases and 4,932 deaths in five countries and territories as of 26 October, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Democratic Republic of the Congo accounts for the overwhelming majority of cases and deaths.
Africa CDC called on African countries to strengthen cross-border cooperation during an extraordinary virtual meeting of health ministers on Wednesday 28 October. Participants discussed information-sharing, surveillance, laboratory capacity, preparedness at borders and the harmonisation of alert protocols.
The outbreak, which emerged in the DRC in May 2026, has also been reported in Kenya and Nigeria, while Uganda and France have recorded cases linked to the regional outbreak. The CDC describes it as the second-largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded, behind the one that affected West Africa in 2014-2016.
Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya warned that the crisis was disrupting trade, supply chains and household incomes. South Africa is meanwhile strengthening surveillance, laboratory capacity, contact tracing and preparedness at borders, while Ethiopia said it was ready to deploy teams and cooperate with neighbouring countries. This increase comes after the tally of 10,060 cases and 4,887 deaths in the DRC, published on 27 October.
