Plague in DR Congo
The Ituri highlands in northeastern DR Congo have the most active human plague focus in the world, documented since 1928. DR Congo reported 1,893 cases and 101 deaths to WHO in 2019-2025, more than any other country; 14 of Ituri's 36 health zones report plague every year.
Updated:
Situation now
No 2026 plague counts for Ituri have been published. Ituri is also the epicentre of the 2026 Bundibugyo Ebola epidemic, declared a public health emergency of international concern on 17 May 2026, which strains the same health workers and laboratories.
Authority: WHO Regional Office for Africa
Reported to WHO, 2019 to 2025
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspected | 48 | 451 | 138 | 641 | 114 | 447 | 54 | 1,893 |
| Confirmed | 48 | 451 | 138 | 641 | 114 | 447 | 54 | 1,893 |
| Deaths | 8 | 31 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 13 | 1 | 101 |
Source: WHO Weekly Epidemiological Record 101(38), 25 Sep 2026, Table 9.
Natural foci
Ituri, DR Congo
ActiveHosts: Rats, multimammate mice
Ituri highlands, documented since 1928; Rethy and Logo health zones most active. 1,893 cases and 101 deaths reported to WHO in 2019-2025, the most of any country. Ituri is also the epicentre of the 2026 Ebola epidemic.
Recent events
Rethy health zone (Djugu): about 24 to 30 suspected bubonic and pneumonic cases since February, at least one death.
Ituri declares its ninth plague outbreak, in Rethy; 400 bubonic cases by late July.
Latest signals
Headlines attributed to DR Congo in the last 45 days. Not verified by us.