Ebola Outbreak in DRC Claims Over 5,000 Lives, Spreading to Neighboring Nations

Relatives attended the funeral of an eight-month pregnant Congolese woman and her fetus, who succumbed to Ebola, at a cemetery in Butembo, North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on October 5, 2026. Government data indicates that the death toll from Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has now exceeded 5,000, with authorities still struggling to contain the nation's most devastating outbreak of the virus on record. The latest figures were released on Friday. Since the outbreak was declared in May, Ebola has infected over 10,000 individuals in the DRC. The ongoing outbreak is attributed to the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there are no approved treatments or vaccines. Factors such as delayed detection, ongoing conflict, and strained health services have contributed to the virus spreading more rapidly than in previous outbreaks, affecting eight of the DRC’s 26 provinces to date. The virus has also spread to neighboring countries. Last week, Nigeria became the fourth African nation to report an Ebola case, marking the outbreak's expansion into West Africa. East African countries, including Kenya and Uganda, have also reported cases. This year's Ebola outbreak ranks as the second-largest in history, surpassed only by the 2014-2016 epidemic that affected more than 28,600 people and resulted in over 11,000 deaths across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. In response, some governments have implemented travel restrictions to affected countries or are quarantining travelers who have recently visited or transited through them. On Friday, Saudi Arabia announced a suspension of travel to and entry from Kenya, as reported by the Saudi Press Agency. These measures include prohibiting Saudi citizens from traveling to Kenya and temporarily halting the issuance of all visa types for travelers originating from the country. The kingdom is also barring entry to travelers arriving from Kenya, including those who have transited through third countries and have stayed in Kenya or other Ebola-affected nations within the preceding 21 days. In June, Saudi Arabia had previously suspended travel to and entry from the DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan.