Ebola reaches a fourth country as Kenya confirms an imported case; U.S. measles passes 4,000: Health risk update, Oct. 3–9, 2026

From October 3 through 9, 2026, the Bundibugyo virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo reached a fourth country. Kenya confirmed its first imported case on October 6, in a Kenyan citizen who had been living in the Congo and who reached Nairobi from Kampala on October 3. The patient died on the night of October 5. 1

CDC counts 8,809 confirmed cases and 4,245 confirmed deaths across the Congo, Kenya, Uganda and France as of October 7. The Congo alone accounts for 8,787 of the cases and 4,242 of the deaths. 2

The United States passed 4,080 confirmed measles cases for 2026 as of October 8, against 3,887 a week earlier. 3 Pennsylvania, the year's largest outbreak, reported 1,078 cases in 41 counties, 207 hospitalizations and five deaths on October 7. 4

Two more broccoli-seed recalls landed this week, both tracing to a single supplier lot already tied to a federal sprout investigation. 56

A Listeria finding pulled a cold-smoked fish trio sold in six states. 7

Every count in this issue is built from a report date. A jump between two weekly updates records when cases were confirmed and entered the surveillance system. The infections behind them began earlier, and the same numbers keep moving after publication.

The measles table is this week's clearest demonstration of reporting lag. Between the version CDC published on October 2 and the one published on October 9, every week but the oldest now reads higher. 3

The week beginning September 27 climbed from 60 cases to 116. The week of September 6 climbed from 185 to 225, and the week of September 20 from 143 to 177. 3

Only the newest bar, the week of October 4 at 25 cases, is still visibly thin. CDC's national total of 4,080 includes 18 cases in international visitors, and 96% of cases belong to one of 42 outbreaks. 3

Hospitalizations run at 10% nationally, or 414 of 4,080 cases. Children under 5 are hospitalized at 15%, the highest rate of any age group. 3

Death counts still diverge by definition. CDC lists 2 deaths for 2026 and marks the figure as subject to change while it works with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists on a standard definition. 3 Pennsylvania counts five under its own rule, which requires a death within 30 days of symptom onset in a person with clinical evidence of measles, a positive laboratory test, and a cause attributed to measles. 4

Geography is uneven. The same CDC table that gives Pennsylvania 1,105 cases through October 8 gives South Carolina 670 and Utah 535, then drops to Texas at 192. 3

Utah, the second-largest outbreak of the spring, reported 527 cases for 2026 and none in the previous three weeks as of October 6. 16

The Ebola numbers carry two cutoffs. CDC's 8,809 confirmed cases and 4,245 deaths use the Congolese ministry's October 7 figures and add Kenya, Uganda and France. 2

WHO's Weekly External Situation Report 21, published October 4, gives the Congo 8,603 confirmed cases and 4,148 deaths, a crude case fatality ratio of 48.2%. That report counted 487 confirmed cases and 224 deaths added in the week ending October 4. 17

The gap between the two totals is three days of reporting and one difference in scope: WHO counts the Congo alone, while CDC adds the three other countries. 2

Kenya's case began in the Congo. The patient was a Kenyan citizen living there who was treated at several Congolese health facilities, then travelled by road through Beni to Kampala on October 2 and flew to Nairobi on October 3. 1

Kenya isolated the patient on arrival. Both the National Virology Reference Laboratory and the Kenya Medical Research Institute confirmed Bundibugyo virus. The patient died on the night of October 5 and was buried on October 6 under Kenya's safe and dignified burial protocol. 1

Kenya notified WHO under the International Health Regulations on October 6. Health authorities have listed 28 contacts, including family members and the health workers who cared for the patient, and are tracing 23 passengers and four crew members from the same flight. 1

Kenya had been on high alert since May, when the Congo and Uganda declared outbreaks. It has screened more than 652,000 arriving travellers, tested 267 suspected samples and trained about 5,000 health workers on Ebola. Its preparedness score rose from 66% in May to 82% in July. 1

Inside the Congo the outbreak keeps finding new ground. Alimbongo health zone in Nord-Kivu became the 64th affected health zone, spread across seven provinces. 17

Ituri still carries 75% of cumulative confirmed cases, though its share keeps falling. Transmission in Nord-Kivu is substantial, and it persists in Haut-Uélé. 17

The response is carrying a heavy load. The most recent WHO count puts 896 patients in isolation, 2,235 recovered, and infections among health workers at 245 cases with 47 deaths. 17

No Ebola cases linked to this outbreak have been confirmed in the United States, and CDC rates the likelihood of spread into the country as very low. 2

WHO's position is that no travel or trade restrictions on the Congo, Uganda or Kenya are warranted on the current information. 1

Bundibugyo virus has no licensed vaccine and no specific treatment. Control rests on finding cases quickly, isolating and treating patients, tracing contacts and conducting safe burials. Candidate vaccines and treatments are in clinical trials. 1

CDC's travel notice list shows nothing added or reviewed between October 3 and October 9. The most recent review on the list is the global dengue notice of October 2. 18

The Ebola notice levels held. Ituri and Nord-Kivu stay at Level 4, avoid all travel. Haut-Uélé and Tshopo stay at Level 3, reconsider nonessential travel. The rest of the Congo and Uganda stay at Level 2, practice enhanced precautions. 18

The global polio notice, reviewed September 23, continues to recommend that international travelers be up to date on polio vaccination. The global measles notice from May 2025 still directs all international travelers to complete MMR vaccination. 18

U.S. vaccine schedules held steady. CDC's immunization recommendations page still lists the seasonal influenza and RSV actions of July and August 2025 as its most recent adopted recommendations, and the routine child, adolescent and adult schedules stand as published. 19

Measles vaccination demand in Pennsylvania is running far above baseline. Providers statewide gave more than 49,000 MMR doses in August and more than 56,000 in September, against roughly 25,000 in a typical month. 4

State health center nurses have given more than 5,700 doses at 198 pop-up clinics since the outbreak began in late April. Combined with the state health centers, they have delivered nearly 9,000 MMR doses in 2026. 4

The broccoli-seed recalls form a chain that started before this window. EAK Distribution recalled HOME GROWN Green Sprouting Calabrese Broccoli Seeds on October 2. Eden Brothers followed on October 7 and Gardeners Basics on October 8. 56

All three trace to supplier lot W4105. FDA collected a seed sample from the supplier, and whole genome sequencing matched it to the Salmonella Bovismorbificans strain that made people sick. The supplier then recalled the lot and contacted its customers. 20

The sprout outbreak itself has not grown. It holds at 32 illnesses, three hospitalizations and no deaths in Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon, Utah and Washington, with the last illness beginning September 3. 20

FDA's outbreak table moved on several fronts this week. The E. coli O157:H7 investigation, reference 1421, now has a vehicle: ready-to-eat multi-ingredient chicken wraps, a USDA-regulated product pulled from the market before the link was confirmed and past its shelf life. Its count stands at 38 cases. 21

Inspections have started in two others: the raw-milk cheese E. coli O26:H11 investigation, reference 1419, and the unidentified Listeria investigation, reference 1415, at 11 cases. 21

Two probes closed. The Salmonella I 4,[5],12:i:- outbreak, reference 1402, has ended, and FDA closed the Cyclospora investigation, reference 1384. The frozen-blueberry E. coli O145:H28 investigation moved to the closed table, with FDA updating its advisory on October 5 to add distribution details for the lots recalled on October 2. 21

This week's CDC journal carries one item for clinical teams. A poison center report in January 2026 led Colorado's health department to a medical spa that was injecting a botulinum neurotoxin product not approved in the United States. 22

Three women who received the same lot developed numbness and tingling, muscle weakness, voice change, blurred vision or neck stiffness within 24 hours. All three recovered, and none needed hospital care. 22

The lot the patients received was no longer available to test. A different lot seized at the spa did contain active botulinum toxin type A. Inspectors also found a preservative-containing diluent, single-dose vials used across patients, no temperature monitoring, and reconstituted product kept past its beyond-use date. 22

The provider was ordered to stop using the unapproved products, and a complaint against the provider's license went to Colorado's regulatory agency. The report's guidance is to seek botulinum toxin treatment only from licensed providers using FDA-approved products. 22

Check the pantry first for the two recalled broccoli seed products, then the refrigerator for the Starfish smoked fish trio and the Riad's Oliva dips. Anyone with Babies' Magic Tea gripe water in the house should set it aside before the next feeding. Hospital teams have two checks: pull the two Brevital lots, and tighten patient-ID verification on Gen 2.0 StatStrip meters. Pennsylvania households should confirm two MMR doses, and anyone with fever and rash should telephone before walking into a clinic. Travelers heading to the Congo, Uganda or South Sudan should plan around the 21-day entry rules; travelers to Kenya face no U.S. entry restriction, and WHO's guidance is that no travel or trade restrictions are warranted there.