Ebola outbreak spreads to 8th province in DR Congo

KINSHASA, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has spread to an eighth province, with new cases confirmed in Nord-Ubangi Province in the north, according to the latest health ministry report released Sunday.

Health workers carry out disinfection work at an Ebola treatment center in Bunia, capital of Ituri Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), on Oct. 12, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua)

Two men in their 20s were reported infected in the Wapinda health zone, one of whom has died. The report did not specify the source of infection.

As of Friday, the country had recorded 9,415 confirmed cases, including 4,536 deaths, since the outbreak began in May, representing a case fatality rate of 48.2 percent.

The eastern province of Ituri remains the epicenter, accounting for more than 73 percent of all confirmed cases nationwide, followed by neighboring North Kivu Province. The outbreak has now affected 66 health zones across eight provinces.

The Ebola outbreak declared in May has become the largest and deadliest ever recorded in the DRC and the second-largest Ebola outbreak globally, after the 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic.