The world’s deadliest Ebola outbreak yet triggers fresh travel warnings

An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has now become the largest ever recorded in the country’s history.

It has surpassed the devastating 2018-2020 Kivu outbreak, and the numbers are still climbing.

As of 12 September, the DRC has reported 7,200 confirmed cases and 3,475 deaths, with 923 patients currently hospitalised in isolation.

HOW THE OUTBREAK HAS EVOLVED SINCE MAY

The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo ebolavirus, began in Ituri Province in May 2026.

It has since spread to 62 health zones across seven provinces, including:

• Ituri
• North Kivu
• South Kivu
• Haut-Uélé
• Tshopo
• Bas-Uélé
• Sud Ubangi

The World Health Organization declared it a public health emergency of international concern on 16 May, and the case fatality rate currently sits at a striking 48.3%.

Uganda’s own outbreak, by contrast, has genuinely resolved.

The country reported 20 confirmed cases and 2 deaths between May and June.

WHO has since officially declared Uganda’s outbreak over, after 42 days passed without a new confirmed case.

Isolated imported cases have also been treated abroad.

This includes patients medically evacuated to Germany, and one confirmed case in France, all linked directly back to the DRC outbreak.

Doctors Without Borders now has more than 1,700 staff on the ground across the affected provinces.

Poor healthcare infrastructure, combined with ongoing armed conflict in the region, continues to hamper detection, treatment and containment efforts.

WHY TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS REMAIN IN FORCE

Despite Uganda’s outbreak officially ending, restrictions tied to the DRC specifically remain very much active.

The United States continues barring entry to non-citizens who’ve been in the DRC within the past 21 days.

Canada still suspends immigration processing for DRC residents.

Several countries maintain entry bans tied to recent travel from the DRC specifically, including:

• Bahrain
• Kuwait
• Jordan
• Curaçao

South Africa hasn’t issued a travel ban or a specific entry advisory tied to this outbreak.

South Africa maintains regular flight and business connections across the region.

With the outbreak still actively expanding rather than winding down, this is a genuinely live situation rather than old news.

WHAT THIS MEANS IF YOU’RE TRAVELLING THROUGH THE REGION

If you have any travel planned to or through Central Africa in the coming months, it’s worth checking your destination’s current entry requirements.

It’s also worth checking any transit countries along your route before booking.

The case count is still climbing sharply as of this week, rather than stabilising.

This remains an active health situation, not one that’s fading into the background.

It’s a genuinely sobering thing to watch a health crisis actually surpass a historical benchmark like this in real time.

It’s a reminder that some of these situations take a lot longer to resolve than the initial headlines might suggest.

This is also worth noting for your travel route.

Something like this could genuinely affect your future travel plans, sometimes in ways you wouldn’t expect.

HAS AN OUTBREAK OR HEALTH ADVISORY EVER AFFECTED YOUR OWN TRAVEL PLANS BEFORE?