Ebola Spreads to New DRC Health Zone as Kenya Confirms First Imported Case

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has spread to another health zone in the eastern region, while a fatal imported case in Kenya has heightened concerns over cross-border transmission.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported in an October 8 update that the Alimbongo health zone in North Kivu province has recorded cases for the first time. As of October 6, four confirmed cases, including two deaths, were documented in the area. The current outbreak is driven by the Bundibugyo virus species of Ebola.

According to the WHO, infections have now appeared across 64 health zones in seven provinces of the DRC. While Ituri remains the hardest-hit province in overall cumulative cases, North Kivu represents an increasing proportion of new infections. By October 6, total recorded figures in the DRC reached 8,728 confirmed cases and 4,205 deaths, alongside 2,269 recoveries, resulting in a crude case fatality ratio of 48.2 percent.

Kenya Confirms Imported Case

Kenya identified its first imported case of Bundibugyo virus disease on October 6, the WHO stated. The patient, a Kenyan citizen residing in the DRC, became ill there and sought care at multiple facilities before traveling through Uganda. The individual journeyed by road to Kampala, Uganda, and subsequently flew to Nairobi on October 3.

Upon arrival, the patient was hospitalized in isolation and tested positive for the virus. Despite supportive care, the patient passed away on October 5. Kenyan authorities subsequently traced 28 contacts, including family members and healthcare workers, while the WHO initiated efforts to locate passengers and crew members from the Nairobi flight.

Public health protocols, including enhanced surveillance and contact tracing, were promptly established in both Kenya and Uganda. On October 8, preliminary tests for a suspected case in Kenya's Wajir County returned negative, according to the local governor, temporarily alleviating fears of a second infection as monitoring continued.

Treatment Capacity Under Pressure

In the DRC, containment efforts face severe obstacles due to constrained medical capacity, ongoing insecurity, and community resistance. Daniel Makasi Levergénois, founder of Watoto Radio, noted that insecurity and misinformation continue to hamper response initiatives. Rumors and misconceptions in Beni and Butembo, both located in North Kivu, have caused residents to be hesitant in cooperating with medical teams.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported on October 5 that North Kivu accounted for nearly 40 percent of newly confirmed nationwide cases, a sharp rise from 24 percent at the end of August. Furthermore, MSF stated that as of September 28, 34 percent of confirmed Ebola patients received care in non-specialized facilities due to a shortage of beds in dedicated treatment units.

“For weeks, treatment capacity has stretched to its limit,” said Stephanie Hoffmann, coordinator of MSF’s Ebola treatment centre in Butembo. “Because there are not enough beds available, we are sometimes forced to refer confirmed Ebola patients elsewhere, despite the significant risk this poses to the wider community.”

Mistrust Threatens Containment Efforts

Alberto Lusenge, a community leader in Beni, cautioned that failures to halt transmission early in Ituri province, combined with new cases and attacks on response personnel in Beni and Butembo, have heightened public anxiety and mistrust.

The WHO reported that response teams were actively tracking 23,741 of the 29,535 identified contacts as of October 4, achieving an 80.4 percent follow-up rate—falling short of the 85 percent target. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has advocated for a community-centered strategy to improve active case finding and continuous contact monitoring.

Unlike previous epidemics, such as the 2018–2020 DRC outbreak caused by a different virus species, the WHO notes that there are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments for Bundibugyo virus disease, placing critical importance on early detection and supportive care. Jean Kaseya, director-general of Africa CDC, emphasized that controlling the epidemic requires complete tracking of every contact to interrupt transmission chains before the virus spreads further.