Key Takeaways
- The Congo Ebola outbreak passed 11,000 confirmed cases on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026, government data showed, according to Reuters.
- Size of Congo's outbreak: WYDE's estimate puts Congo's count at about 38% of West Africa's 2014-16 infections (11,000 against more than 28,600).
- Second-largest Ebola outbreak on record: Reuters says Congo's outbreak trails only West Africa's 2014 to 2016 outbreak in size and deaths.
- Spread inside Congo: AP reports Ituri accounts for nearly 70% of total cases, while North Kivu has emerged as the main site of new transmission.
The Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak has topped 11,000 confirmed cases, government data showed on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026. By WYDE's estimate, that count is about 38% of the infections in West Africa's 2014 to 2016 outbreak.
Where the Congo Ebola Outbreak Is Spreading
AP reports that Ituri accounts for nearly 70% of Congo's total cases. North Kivu has emerged as the main site of new transmission, meaning where the virus is passing to new people, according to Congolese Health Minister Roger Kamba.
AP photographs from an Ebola treatment center in Beni, North Kivu Province, show a health worker carrying an infant infected with the Ebola virus. Isaac Singoma, one of the headteachers AP quoted, said: "Our students and the entire staff have been left traumatized." He added that psychologists were needed and that the situation was extremely difficult.
A photo caption in the Reuters article says Kenya's first confirmed Ebola victim was a Kenyan citizen who had recently returned from the Democratic Republic of Congo via Uganda. The photo shows a Kenya Red Cross team at the victim's burial site in Nairobi on Oct. 6, 2026.
How Congo's Ebola Count Compares With West Africa's 2014-16 Record
Reuters calls Congo's outbreak the second-largest and deadliest on record, behind only the 2014 to 2016 outbreak in West Africa. Reuters puts that West African outbreak at more than 28,600 people infected and more than 11,000 killed. AP gives 28,000 infections and more than 11,000 deaths for the same outbreak, and calls it the largest and deadliest.
WYDE's estimate compares Congo's reported count with West Africa's total infections. Dividing 11,000 by 28,600 gives 38.46%, which rounds to 38%, using the Reuters figure. Using AP's 28,000 instead, the share is about 39%. The two West African totals are 600 apart, which moves the share by 0.82 percentage points. Both outlets put Congo's count above 11,000, and Reuters puts West Africa's total above 28,600, so the result is an estimate rather than an exact share. By WYDE's estimate, Congo's confirmed cases are nearly two-fifths of West Africa's 2014-16 infections.
What the Congo Ebola Comparison Does Not Show
The two counts are different kinds of numbers. Reuters counts confirmed cases, and a confirmed case is one that a laboratory test has verified. AP uses cases without that qualifier. West Africa's figures are infections, meaning people who caught the virus, so the comparison sets a reported count against a historical total.
Neither report gives a death toll for Congo's outbreak, so the comparison covers cases only. Both outlets put West Africa's 2014 to 2016 deaths above 11,000. AP also says dozens of Ebola outbreaks have been reported since the disease was first discovered in 1976.
AP's headline says the disease keeps spreading, so the 38% figure is a snapshot of the count reported on Nov. 10, not a forecast of where the count will end.
People Also Ask
How many Ebola cases has Congo reported?
Government data showed on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026, that confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo had surpassed 11,000, Reuters reported. AP reported that Congo's Ebola outbreak had topped 11,000 cases.
Is Congo's Ebola outbreak the second largest on record?
Reuters says Congo's Ebola outbreak is the second-largest and deadliest on record, behind only West Africa's 2014 to 2016 outbreak. West Africa's 2014 to 2016 outbreak infected more than 28,600 people and killed more than 11,000, according to Reuters.
Where is Congo's Ebola outbreak spreading?
AP reports that Ituri accounts for nearly 70% of Congo's total Ebola cases. North Kivu has emerged as the main site of new transmission, according to Congolese Health Minister Roger Kamba.
How big was West Africa's 2014 to 2016 Ebola outbreak?
AP reports that West Africa's 2014 to 2016 Ebola outbreak had 28,000 infections and more than 11,000 deaths, and calls it the largest and deadliest Ebola outbreak. Reuters puts its total at more than 28,600 people infected.