The letter
Bulletin No. 104Situation as of 26 Aug 2026
Summary of the INSP bulletin, with each new release
The bulletin of 26 Aug 2026, published 27 Aug 2026, reports 81 new confirmed cases and 42 deaths. 81 cases is above the seven-day average of 72.0 a day. There is 2 new zones affected: Biena (Nord-Kivu) and Manguredjipa (Nord-Kivu); the outbreak now affects 60 zones in 6 provinces.
01The toll
Since the outbreak began, 5,794 confirmed cases and 2,786 deaths: 48.1% of patients have died. 1,293 people have recovered. 24 more than the day before. 843 patients are hospitalised in Ebola treatment centres. Over the past seven days, an average of 72.0 cases and 38.6 deaths a day, against 89.3 cases and 47.4 deaths the week before.
02Where
Ituri accounts for 52 of the 81 new cases. Then Nord-Kivu with 22, Haut-Uélé with 5 and Tshopo with 2. The other 2 provinces report none. 5 zones carry 53 of these 81 cases: Bunia 19, Mangala 9, Rwampara 9, Nizi 8 and Katwa 8. 50 of the 60 affected health zones reported at least one new case in the past three weeks; 10 reported none.
03Deaths
Of the 42 deaths reported today, 35 occurred in the community, that is outside a treatment centre, and 7 in a treatment centre. Deaths outside a centre: 21 in Ituri and 14 in Nord-Kivu. Those in a treatment centre: 5 in Ituri, 1 in Nord-Kivu and 1 in Haut-Uélé. The 5 in Ituri have not yet been assigned to a specific health zone, like 280 deaths before them.
04The response
2,026 reports of possible patients ("alerts") were received; 1,678 were checked and 431 retained as suspected cases, to be tested. Sud-Kivu did not send its figures. Of 372 samples tested in the laboratory, 81 were positive, that is 21.8 %. This share reaches 34.2 % in Ituri. 82.3 % of the people who had been close to a patient (the "contacts") were seen by follow-up teams, below the 85% threshold the INSP has set itself. Fewer than three contacts in four were seen in the following provinces: Bas-Uélé and Haut-Uélé. Ebola treatment centres are 64.4 % full: 763 patients for 1,184 beds. Beyond capacity: Nord-Kivu, 214 patients for 206 beds. Safe burials, carried out by protected teams to avoid contagion: 141 deaths reported, 121 burials carried out, 102 bodies tested. Around new cases, 31 prevention rings were set up out of 50 expected, that is the disinfection of the home and the follow-up of relatives. Vaccination: 20 people have received the Ervebo vaccine since the campaign began on 26 Aug 2026: 20 in Bas-Uélé. At control points on roads and at borders, 261,402 travellers passed through and 98.0 % had a temperature check.
05The difficulties encountered
In Ituri, prevention rings are set up around 62% of new cases, but disinfection teams are lacking in Fataki and Mangala and vehicles in Komanda, Bambu and Mangala; the Bambu centre and the Kigonze transit centre are full; residents refuse to be tested in Nia-Nia and Alimasi, hesitate in Kabakaba, and 48 contacts could not be listed in Kilo État. In Nord-Kivu, no home of a confirmed patient was disinfected, there are 175 suspected patients for 142 beds, some suspects from Butembo, Masereka, Vuhovi and Kalunguta are kept outside the centres, and a community leader was murdered in the Mangothe area (Beni). In Haut-Uélé, five control points are on strike, and a body intercepted at Magambe (Isiro) was released without a test. In Tshopo, the treatment centre has only 14 beds, protective suits are lacking, the Kisangani incinerator is broken and 7 of 20 control points are working.