Add StudioX as a preferred source on GoogleThe Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has passed 10,000 confirmed cases, making it the largest Ebola outbreak in the country’s history.
Congolese health authorities reported 10,060 confirmed cases and 4,887 deaths as of Oct. 25, in figures released Tuesday. That puts the death rate among confirmed cases at close to half.
The outbreak was announced in mid-May. It is now the second-largest and second-deadliest Ebola outbreak on record, behind the 2014–2016 epidemic in West Africa, which killed more than 11,000 people.
A rare strain with no approved vaccine
This outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a less common species of Ebola. When the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on May 17, it noted there were no approved vaccines or treatments specific to this strain.
Cases have been reported in eight of Congo’s 26 provinces. Ituri province in the northeast is the epicentre, accounting for about 72 per cent of confirmed cases.
The WHO has described the outbreak as the fastest-spreading Ebola outbreak on record.
Spread beyond Congo
The virus has crossed borders several times:
- Uganda reported 20 cases in May and June, mostly imported from Congo. The WHO declared it Ebola-free in August.
- Kenya confirmed its first case earlier this month and has since recorded nine cases, including two deaths.
- Nigeria confirmed its first case last week: a Swiss woman who had returned to Abuja from Uganda. She has since been flown to Switzerland for treatment, and Nigerian authorities are monitoring 52 of her contacts.
The Africa CDC said the first patients in Kenya and Nigeria both passed through Uganda’s Entebbe airport on Oct. 3. WHO Africa regional director Mohamed Janabi said Nigeria currently has no Ebola cases after the evacuation, but stressed vigilance remains critical.
What it means for Canadians
The Government of Canada has a Level 3 travel health notice for Congo, advising Canadians to avoid non-essential travel. The notice was last updated Oct. 20 and lists Ituri, North Kivu, Bas-Uélé, Haut-Uélé, North Ubangi, South Ubangi and Tshopo as affected provinces.
Canada has also had temporary border measures in place since the spring. They have been extended to Nov. 27, 2026:
- Foreign nationals who have been in Congo in the past 21 days cannot enter Canada or board a flight here.
- Travellers coming from Uganda or South Sudan may enter but must quarantine for 21 days unless exempt.
- Canadian citizens, permanent residents and people registered under the Indian Act can still return after being in those countries, but they get a health assessment on arrival and must quarantine for 21 days.
Ottawa’s travel notice tells anyone heading to the region to see a travel health clinic, ideally six weeks before leaving, and to register with the Registration of Canadians Abroad service.
It also advises avoiding contact with sick people and with bodies at funerals and burials. Travellers who develop symptoms should not travel. Anyone who feels ill on the way home should tell a flight attendant or border officer.
The WHO, for its part, has advised against border closures and travel restrictions, warning they can push movement toward unmonitored crossings.
Canadians with family in eastern Congo, Uganda or Kenya should check the travel.gc.ca notice before booking any trip, as the rules have been extended several times since May.
Sources: Reuters, Associated Press, World Health Organization, Government of Canada, Public Health Agency of Canada, The Canadian Press
Harnaik Singh Rathor is the Founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of StudioX News Canada, Canada's multilingual digital news network serving multilingual diaspora communities across Canada. With a background in media production, public relations, and multicultural communications, he founded StudioX Film and TV Corporation to bridge the gap between mainstream Canadian media and the country's diverse immigrant communities. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), RTDNA Canada, CPRS Vancouver, NEPMCC, and the Canadian Freelance Union (Unifor). Based in Surrey, British Columbia. | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harnaiksinghrathor/ | Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com/harnaiksinghrathor | Email: editor@studioxnews.ca
