WHO sees 'encouraging signs' in Congo Ebola fight, but warns cases in one eastern region are surging

· Medical Xpress

edited by Andrew Zinin

Andrew Zinin

Chief Editor

Meet our editorial team
Behind our editorial process
Editors' notes

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

fact-checked

reputable news agency

proofread

The GIST Add as preferred source

Health workers who are members of the safe and dignified burial team prepare to bury Abineno Justine, a 38 year old woman who died of the Ebola virus, in Bunia, Congo, Friday, Sept. 4, 2026. Credit: AP Photo/Dieudonne Dirole

The head of the U.N. health agency is hailing "encouraging signs" in the fight against an Ebola outbreak in one part of eastern Congo, while warning that case counts are rising fast in another as officials race to tamp down the virus.

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said signs of gaining ground against the Bundibugyo virus, the rare species behind the outbreak, have emerged in Ituri province, but added that the situation is one of "many outbreaks in many places."

"We are now starting to see encouraging signs that we are gaining ground in the most affected parts of Ituri province. Transmission is going down," the WHO chief told reporters at the agency's headquarters in Geneva.

South Kivu, he said, has reported no new cases since May.

"But make no mistake, the epidemic continues to grow and continues to kill," Tedros said. He said more than 7,200 cases and more than 3,500 deaths have been reported across seven provinces.

In North Kivu, "cases are rising fast," Tedros said, The number of weekly cases has nearly doubled over the past two weeks, from about 100 to more than 200. "The area is so vast that it's hard to speak of a single epidemic. It's many outbreaks in many places."

A map showing health zones in Congo with confirmed Ebola cases. Credit: AP Digital Embed

Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO's director for epidemic and pandemic management, said, "We can be cautiously optimistic about what is happening, but I think we need to be realistic about the road that's ahead of us. Looking at trends takes time."

Last week, officials in Congo said the world's fastest-growing outbreak of the disease on record had now spread to seven provinces in the African country, and was showing no signs of slowing down.

Key medical concepts

Deaths

Clinical categories

Infectious diseasesCommon illnesses & Prevention Who's behind this story?

Andrew Zinin

Master's in physics with research experience. Long-time science news enthusiast. Plays key role in Science X's editorial success. Full profile →

© 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Citation: WHO sees 'encouraging signs' in Congo Ebola fight, but warns cases in one eastern region are surging (2026, September 16) retrieved 16 September 2026 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-congo-ebola-cases-eastern-region.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.