The Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has reached 8,728 confirmed cases and 4,205 deaths (CFR 48.2%) across seven provinces, with two exported cases: a fatal imported case in Kenya and a healthcare worker evacuated to the Netherlands. Measles remains a global concern, with the burden concentrated in Africa and South Asia, over 55,792 confirmed cases and 77 deaths in the Americas, and continued transmission in high-income settings. Northern Mexico is experiencing a multi-state surge in spotted fever group rickettsiosis, with a national case fatality rate above 44%. In Russia, WHO has assessed the fatal case of undiagnosed pneumonia in a laboratory worker at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute and, as of 11 October, found no evidence of ongoing transmission, although clarification on the extent of the public health response is still pending. In Europe, locally acquired dengue continues in Italy, which has reported 68 cases across six active clusters including a newly identified one in Rome. Additionally, a rapidly accelerating dengue outbreak in Bangladesh has exceeded 92,000 hospitalisations.
Ebola virus disease, Africa
As of 6 October 2026, the DRC has recorded 8,728 confirmed cases and 4,205 confirmed deaths (CFR 48.2%) across 64 health zones in seven provinces, with Alimbongo health zone in North Kivu newly affected. Transmission remains intense but unevenly distributed. WHO was notified on 5 October of a laboratory-confirmed imported case in Kenya in a traveller from the DRC who transited through Uganda; the patient died the same day, and contact tracing is under way in both Kenya and Uganda. The healthcare worker medically evacuated to the Netherlands on 1 October remains under treatment.
Measles, Global
The global burden is concentrated in Africa and South Asia. Africa CDC reports 10,471 confirmed and 173,681 suspected cases with 1,718 deaths (CFR 0.99%) across 23 member states, led by the Democratic Republic of Congo. Bangladesh has recorded 201,625 suspected and 22,116 confirmed cases with 1,040 deaths. In the Americas, the PAHO reports over 55,792 confirmed cases and 77 deaths this year, led by Guatemala and followed by Mexico. PAHO warns of a “very high” risk of new outbreaks due to upcoming large religious events in Argentina, Peru and Uruguay. The US has reported 3,887 confirmed cases across 47 jurisdictions, 95% in unvaccinated individuals, with New York State declaring a disaster emergency on 5 October. In the EU/EEA, 2,335 cases were reported between September 2025 and August 2026, 71.9% in unvaccinated individuals and no deaths.
Spotted fever group rickettsiosis, Mexico
A multi-state increase in rickettsiosis cases is occurring in Northern Mexico, with the national case fatality rate exceeding 44% as of October 2026. Previous reports from late 2025 noted rising cases in Sinaloa, high fatality rates in Sonora, and 107 cases with 53 deaths in Chihuahua. The cases in Chihuahua disproportionately affected children, older adults, migrants, and people living in poverty.
Pneumonia of unknown etiology, Russia
A fatal case of severe, undiagnosed pneumonia occurred in a laboratory worker at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute, prompting the quarantine of around 200 contacts. While Russian officials state the death was unrelated to lab work, WHO has requested clarification regarding the extensive public health measures and media reports of a second affected employee. As of October 11, WHO noted no evidence of ongoing transmission.
Dengue, Europe
Two European countries have reported locally acquired dengue cases since the beginning of 2026 and as of 7 October: Italy (68 cases) and France (6). Italy added nine new cases over the past week, now distributed across six clusters, all currently active, including a newly identified cluster in Rome.
8,728 confirmed cases and 4,205 deaths; first imported fatal case detected in Nairobi
Fatal case in a Los Angeles child; third pediatric case since 2024.
Fatal pneumonia in an anti-plague institute worker with absence of a confirmed diagnosis.
The ESCMID-AUMC Epi Alert, a strategic collaboration between the ESCMID Emerging Infections Subcommittee and the Center of Tropical Medicine and Travel Medicine of Amsterdam University Medical Center (AUMC) that integrates expertise and resources to advance emerging infectious diseases surveillance and intelligence sharing. This collaboration integrates ESCMID's extensive international network and emerging infections expertise with AUMC's proven surveillance capabilities, led by Dr. Abraham Goorhuis and the AUMC team and other collaborators form European Institutions.
The Epi Alert aims to be a weekly publication. The briefings are curated by infectious disease specialists prioritising data from trusted sources (such as Beacon, H-Radar, Outbreaknews, WHO, ECDC, CDC) based on potential impact, geographic region and urgency/relevancy to clinical practice. It aims to provide concise summaries for busy healthcare professionals with direct links for further investigation and transparency.
This integrated collaboration represents a significant milestone in ESCMID's commitment to emerging infections preparedness, strengthening our collective capacity to detect, analyse, and respond to infectious disease threats through international cooperation.
Disclaimer: The information in this epi-alert is a weekly summary of the information that is available on the internet, mainly the websites of Beacon, H-Radar, Outbreaknews, WHO, ECDC, CDC, and others. For this summary, we consider issues that are most relevant to the ESCMID members involved in clinical patient care. Therefore, this report is not comprehensive, but we strive to include all major global issues in this report on a weekly basis.