New cases of Ebola in eastern DRC and a fatal imported infection in Kenya highlight the challenges of containing the virus.
Beni, Democratic Republic of Congo – The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has spread to another health zone in the east, while a fatal imported case in Kenya has underscored the risk of cross-border transmission.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on October 8 that the Alimbongo health zone in North Kivu province had recorded cases for the first time. As of October 6, four confirmed cases, including two deaths, had been documented there.
The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a species of Ebola virus. According to the WHO, cases have been reported in 64 health zones across seven provinces in the DRC. Ituri remains the most affected province in terms of cumulative cases, while North Kivu is accounting for an increasing share of newly confirmed infections.
As of October 6, the WHO had recorded 8,728 confirmed cases and 4,205 confirmed deaths in the DRC. An additional 2,269 people had recovered, with the crude case fatality ratio at 48.2 percent.
Kenya confirmed its first imported case of Bundibugyo virus disease on October 6, as reported by the WHO. The patient, a Kenyan citizen who had been living in the DRC, fell ill there and received treatment at several health facilities before traveling to Kenya through Uganda.
The patient traveled by road to Kampala, Uganda, before flying to Nairobi, arriving on October 3. The patient was isolated in the hospital and tested positive for the virus. Despite supportive treatment, the patient died on October 5, according to the WHO.
Kenyan authorities identified 28 contacts, including family members and healthcare workers. The WHO also reported efforts to trace passengers and crew members from the flight to Nairobi.
Public health measures have been initiated in Kenya and Uganda, including contact tracing and enhanced surveillance.
On October 8, preliminary laboratory results for a suspected Ebola case in Kenya’s Wajir County returned negative, according to the county governor. This result alleviated concerns about a possible second case, although monitoring continued.
The imported infection has highlighted the importance of surveillance and coordination between neighboring countries. Identifying exposed individuals and monitoring them for symptoms are essential for early detection and interrupting further transmission.
In the DRC, the response faces increasing pressure from limited treatment capacity, insecurity, and difficulties in securing cooperation from some communities.
Daniel Makasi Levergénois, founder of Watoto Radio, noted that insecurity and misinformation were undermining efforts to contain the outbreak. In Beni and Butembo, both in North Kivu, rumors and misconceptions about Ebola have contributed to reluctance among some residents to cooperate with response teams.
In an October 5 update, medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) stated that North Kivu accounted for nearly 40 percent of newly confirmed cases nationwide, up from 24 percent at the end of August.
MSF also reported that, as of September 28, 34 percent of confirmed Ebola patients were being treated in non-specialized health facilities. Dedicated treatment centers lacked sufficient beds, and delays in diagnosis meant some patients were being treated outside facilities equipped to manage Ebola.
The organization warned that many of these facilities lacked the resources and expertise needed to manage the disease, increasing the risk of transmission among patients and healthcare workers.
“For weeks, treatment capacity has stretched to its limit,” said Stephanie Hoffmann, coordinator of MSF’s Ebola treatment center 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. In addition, standards of care in some peripheral facilities do not always meet the requirements for Ebola treatment. This is extremely concerning.”
Alberto Lusenge, a community leader in Beni, expressed that the failure to stop transmission early in Ituri province, followed by new cases and attacks on response workers in Beni and Butembo, had deepened public concern.
Lusenge warned that mistrust could discourage residents from reporting symptoms or cooperating with health workers. He indicated that North Kivu could become a greater focus of the outbreak if authorities failed to secure stronger cooperation from local communities.
The WHO stated that response teams were following up 23,741 of the 29,535 identified contacts as of October 4, which is equivalent to 80.4 percent – below the response target of at least 85 percent.
Contact tracing allows health authorities to identify individuals who may have been exposed, monitor them for symptoms, and detect infections early. Gaps in follow-up can hinder the identification and interruption of chains of transmission.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has called for a community-centered response, including active case finding, systematic contact tracing, daily follow-up of exposed individuals, and sustained engagement with local communities.
The DRC’s 2018–2020 Ebola outbreak, caused by a different virus species, resulted in nearly 2,300 deaths. The current outbreak presents distinct challenges: According to the WHO, there are no approved vaccines or specific treatments for Bundibugyo virus disease.
Early detection, supportive care, and infection prevention remain central to the response. However, as infections spread into additional health zones and treatment facilities struggle to accommodate patients, health authorities face the dual challenge of containing transmission and maintaining public trust.
Jean Kaseya, director-general of Africa CDC, emphasized the importance of rapidly identifying and monitoring individuals exposed to the virus.
“To bring this outbreak under control, we need to know where every contact is, track them, and quickly identify anyone showing symptoms before they pass the virus on to their family, their community, or across borders. We will only bring this outbreak under control once the last chain of transmission has been broken,” Kaseya stated in a news release seen by Al Jazeera.