Ebola Spreads to Two New Health Zones in North Kivu; 60 Areas Now Affected as Cases Pass 5,794

DRC's Ebola outbreak reached two new health zones — Biena and Manguredjipa, both in North Kivu province — bringing the total footprint to 60 of the country's 151 health zones across six provinces, Al Jazeera reported 28 August 2026, citing the fastest-spreading Ebola epidemic ever recorded. ECDC's tracker (updated 28 August, data through 27 August) put DRC's confirmed toll at 5,794 cases and 2,786 deaths — a single-day rise of 81 cases and 42 deaths — with 843 patients hospitalized in isolation and 82.3% of identified contacts under active follow-up. The outbreak has now surpassed the 2018-2020 Kivu epidemic's 3,317 cases to become the largest ever recorded in DRC. Beni health zone, one of the hardest-hit areas, has recorded 122 cases and 87 deaths — a roughly 69% fatality rate, well above the national average of about 48%. UN Secretary-General António Guterres was quoted calling it 'the fastest-spreading Ebola epidemic ever recorded.' MSF, which has 1,400 staff and roughly 400 treatment-center beds deployed in DRC, opened a new treatment center in Beni.