2026 Ebola epidemic
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In May 2026, an epidemic[5] of Ebola was reported in the Ituri Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It is the 17th Ebola outbreak in the DRC and began only five months after the end of the previous outbreak.[6] Early infections have been theorized to have occurred in February 2026 in the town of Mongbwalu, with imported cases from Ituri reported in North Kivu Province, and in Uganda's capital city of Kampala.
| 2026 Ebola epidemic | |
|---|---|
Map of confirmed cases as of 17 June 2026 | |
| Disease | Ebola |
| Pathogen | Bundibugyo virus (BDBV) |
| Location | Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda |
| WHO status | Public health emergency of international concern |
| First reported | 14 May 2026[1][2] |
| Confirmed cases | 1,023[3][4] |
| Suspected cases | 162 |
| Recovered | 106 |
Deaths | 256 as of 21 June 2026[3][4] |
| Fatality rate | 26% |
The epidemic is caused by the Bundibugyo ebolavirus, which has complicated response efforts as existing Ebola treatments were certified for a different Ebola species, the Zaire ebolavirus.[7] The outbreak was declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 16 May 2026.
There have been 254 confirmed deaths in D.R. Congo,[3] and two deaths in Uganda as of 21 June.[8][9][4] Poor healthcare infrastructure in the region and an ongoing armed conflict hinder detection, treatment and prevention of the disease; it is considered likely that the true scale of the outbreak could considerably exceed the confirmed numbers.[10][11][5]
Background
There have been 16 known previous outbreaks of Ebola in the DRC.[6] There have been two previous outbreaks of Bundibugyo virus (BDBV),[12] one in Bundibugyo District of Uganda in 2007 and 2008, from which it got its name, and another in 2012 in Isiro in the DRC.[13] The virus is estimated to have a fatality rate between 25% and 50%.[14]
There is no approved vaccine or medicine specifically for the Bundibugyo virus.[15] Experimental vaccines have been tested on macaques.[16] A study involving macaques suggests that the vaccine approved for Zaire ebolavirus, Ervebo, may be partially effective against the Bundibugyo virus;[17] the WHO has judged this evidence insufficient and has recommended against its use in the current outbreak.[18]
The outbreak began in Ituri,[19] an area that has seen a recent resurgence of a decades-old ethnic conflict. Neighboring provinces have also been affected by the conflict between DR Congo and Rwanda. Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu are experiencing a humanitarian crisis with 1.9 million people in need of aid.[20] Large scale refugee movements and cross-border travel, as well as mining-related travel, complicate efforts to contact trace people who are positive. Ituri's status as a commercial and migratory hub greatly increases the risk of diseases spreading to the broader region.[21]
Epidemiology
Ebola viruses are endemic to Central and West Africa, where bats are often reservoir hosts, although this has not been confirmed for this species of the virus. The virus can infect other mammals that prey on bats, and can pass to humans who have contact with infected bats, carcasses, or bushmeat.[22][23] The virus is transmitted between humans through close, direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected, sick or dead person; this places close family of an infected person, and health workers at particular risk of infection.[24]
Initial containment efforts took place in a highly unstable part of eastern DR Congo, where conflict involving armed groups such as the ADF, CODECO and Rwanda-backed M23 had long restricted humanitarian access.[25] Fighting and restrictions by armed groups also obstructed aid operations, curtailed civilian movement and limited access to essential services.[25]
Timeline of the outbreak
According to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization, the outbreak may have started as early as January.[26] Based on models of the spread of Bundibugyo virus, it is estimated that the virus crossed over into humans in January or February, the most plausible time of a spillover event being in mid-to-late February.[27] Investigators believed that the funeral of a pastor from Mongbwalu on 4 February served as one of the initial outbreaks, as the corpse was handled by family and the coffin was broken. Despite the pastor never being diagnosed with Ebola, nearly 50 others died with Ebola-like symptoms following the funeral, including several of his brothers; he has since been theorized to be patient zero. Months following the funeral, the outbreak in Mongbwalu worsened and killed more than 100 people, although it was theorized that the disease had been present in the town for several months prior.[28]
Initially, the earliest known suspected case (index case) in Ituri was a man who began experiencing haemorrhagic symptoms on 24 April 2026. Early intra-household transmission occurred when a sibling developed symptoms on 26 April and died the following day. The index case subsequently died on 28 April.[29][30] On 23 May, the Red Cross announced that three workers who died between 5 and 16 May are believed to have contracted Ebola on 27 March during dead body management activities in Mongbwalu before the outbreak had been identified.[31][32]
A potential outbreak signal was reported on 30 April, though initial testing in Bunia was negative for Zaire Ebola and samples were sent to the INRB laboratory in Kinshasa.[29] On 5 May, the WHO was alerted to the potential Ebola outbreak in Ituri and dispatched a response team.[33] On 14 May, the INRB confirmed eight cases of a non-Zaire filovirus aetiology.[2][29] Genomic sequencing on 15 May classified it as of the Bundibugyo ebolavirus species. That same day, Uganda declared an outbreak due to an imported case.[29][34]
On 15 May, the Congolese Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene, and Social Welfare publicly confirmed the outbreak of Ebola virus disease in the Ituri Province, including 246 suspected cases.[33][35] By 16 May, the three health zones of Bunia, Mongwalu and Rwampara in Ituri had confirmed or suspected cases. Cases were also confirmed in the DRC capital, Kinshasa, and the Ugandan capital Kampala.[5]
On 16 May, the WHO announced eight laboratory-confirmed cases of Bundibugyo virus in Ituri, one confirmed case in Kinshasa, and two confirmed cases in Kampala. Furthermore, given the unusual clusters of suspected cases appearing across multiple parts of the eastern DRC, the WHO was unable to ascertain the geographic spread of the epidemic or the true number of infections. Alongside the cases in Uganda confirming an international risk, this led the WHO to declare the epidemic a public health emergency of international concern.[21][5]
On 17 May, health authorities confirmed a positive case in Goma, a city in North Kivu Province that is under the control of the March 23 Movement, after a woman infected with Ebola travelled there from Ituri.[36] The WHO said on 17 May that the case previously reported in Kinshasa had tested negative on further testing.[37]
On 18 May, cases were identified in Butembo, a city in North Kivu Province that was an epicentre of the Kivu Ebola epidemic, as well as in Nyakunde health zone in Ituri.[38][39] On 18 May, WHO reported that the DRC had 516 suspected cases and 131 deaths, in addition to 33 confirmed cases and four confirmed deaths in four health zones in Ituri Province and three health zones in North Kivu Province. Uganda had two confirmed cases and one confirmed death in Kampala.[39]
On 21 May, a Congo River Alliance spokesperson said a patient that died in a rural area near the capital of Bukavu in South Kivu was confirmed to have Ebola, and that the patient had travelled to the province from the capital of Kisangani in Tshopo province.[40]
On 22 May, the WHO upgraded its risk level of Ebola in the DRC to "very high", while its regional risk remained "high" and its global risk remained low.[41]
On 29 May, the DRC Ministry of Health updated their total suspect case count to remove suspected cases that have been ruled out after investigation and suspected deaths that are pending the results of ongoing investigation.[14] The WHO followed suit on 2 June, announcing that only 116 cases out of 906 were still suspected following additional testing.[42]
On 29 May, confirmed cases were reported in Beni, a city in North Kivu Province that was an epicentre of the Kivu Ebola epidemic.[43]
Statistics by country
| Country | Suspected cases |
Confirmed cases | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cases | Deaths | CFR (%) | Recovered | Source | ||
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 201 | 1,048 | 267 | 25.5% | 112 | [44][45] |
| Uganda | — | 20 | 2 | 10% | 14 | [46] |
| Total | 201 | 1,068 | 269 | 25% | 126 | |
Statistics by province
| Province | Suspected cases |
Confirmed cases[47] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cases | Deaths | CFR (%) | Recovered | ||
| Ituri | 146 | 954 | 216 | 22.6% | — |
| North Kivu | 50 | 91 | 50 | 54.9% | — |
| South Kivu | 5 | 3 | 1 | 33% | — |
| Total | 201 | 1,048 | 267 | 25.5% | — |
Humanitarian response
As hospitals in Ituri's capital Bunia became overwhelmed, health authorities in the DRC began to establish field hospitals on 17 May, described by the WHO as only a "first response". Authorities were working to bring supplies into the region.[48]
On 18 May, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control announced that they would send experts to the region to assist in managing the response to the epidemic.[49]
As no licensed specific treatment or vaccine exists for Bundibugyo virus disease, the WHO said on 19 May, "Response strategies will rely heavily on comprehensive public health measures, including supportive care, early case detection, stringent infection prevention and control protocols, rigorous contact tracing, safe burial practices, and deep community engagement."[50]
On 21 May, The Guardian described the US as "notably absent in these efforts", due to the end of USAID, reductions in US health agencies, and cancellation of research by the second Trump administration. The US leaving the World Health Organisation had resulted in major reductions in the agency's capabilities.[51]
On 21 May, the UK announced up to £20 million to support communities affected by the Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC.[52] A week later, the US State Department announced $112 million of bilateral assistance aimed at supplying of PPE, screening, contact tracing, and diagnostics,[53] and the European Union pledged €15 million to support Ebola response and preparedness efforts in the DRC and Uganda.[54]
On 1 June, the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) announced that it is building a 65-bed Ebola treatment centre in Ituri, as well as supporting health facilities in Bunia.[55][56] By 16 June, MSF had 3 treatment centres in operation, in Bunia, Goma, and Mongbwalu.[57]
Medical updates
Vaccines and treatments
On 28 May 2026, the WHO recommended against the use of the rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine (effective against Zaire ebolavirus) for the Bundibugyo virus, due to low evidence that it provides cross-protection.[18]
On 28 May 2026, the WHO recommended a number of candidate treatments for clinical trials. For treatment of BDBV disease, these are the antiviral remdesivir and the monoclonal antibody therapies MBP-134 and maftivimab.[58] For prevention, these are the vaccine candidates developed by IAVI, Moderna, and the University of Oxford.[59] To test these treatments and vaccines, the WHO-sponsored PARTNERS clinical trial protocol was being deployed in the DRC and Uganda.[60]
On 1 June 2026, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) announced funding in order to fast-track the three vaccine candidates. Funding allocated was IAVI ($3.2 million), Moderna ($50 million), and the University of Oxford ($8.6 million).[59]
Diagnostic testing
On 22 May 2026, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention recommended molecular diagnostic testing (using real-time PCR) for identifying the Bundibugyo ebolavirus strain, because no antigen rapid diagnostic test (RDT) meets WHO TPP specifications for recommendation in the current outbreak response.[61]
Other developments
On 18 May it was reported that an American physician and medical missionary, who had been treating patients at Nyankunde hospital in Ituri, tested positive for Bundibugyo Ebola and developed symptoms. Along with his wife and children, he was evacuated to the Charité Hospital in Berlin, where he was isolated, received antiviral therapy including experimental monoclonal antibodies,[62] and recovered. The other family members were kept in quarantine and did not develop Ebola. The family was released on 6 June.[63][64] Another American missionary and pediatrician, who was exposed to Ebola while treating patients at Bunia Hospital, was evacuated on 20 May to the Bulovka Hospital in Prague.[65] He did not develop Ebola and was discharged on 10 June.[66]
On 18 May, a group of Ugandans attended a burial in the eastern DRC and returned to Uganda. Some developed symptoms of Ebola and have been taken to Fort Portal for treatment.[67] On 19 May, the Ugandan government temporarily banned handshakes, hugs, and unnecessary physical contact.[68]
The DR Congo national football team cancelled parts of its pre-2026 FIFA World Cup training camp that was originally scheduled to take place in May in Kinshasa but the team still plans to travel to Europe and then Texas before the World Cup begins.[69]
On 21 May, residents protested in Rwampara, near Bunia in the DRC's Ituri Province, after relatives tried to take the body of a young man whom they claimed had died of typhoid fever instead of Ebola. Police officers fired warning shots and tear gas to disperse the crowd, and some of the protesters set two tents on fire, in which patients were being treated for Ebola by a medical charity. Police and military reinforcements later arrived and restored order.[70][71][72]
On 23 May, eighteen suspected Ebola patients escaped a treatment centre and returned to the community in Mongbwalu, DRC, after local residents attacked and burned a tent.[73]
On 30 May, three patients confirmed to have Ebola fled treatment centres in Beni, after 20 civilians were massacred by Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a militia affiliated with Islamic State.[74]
On 1 June, five patients who had recovered from Ebola were discharged from hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the Health authorities.[75]
On 1 June, a burial team in Bunia was assaulted by residents, injuring four people.[76]
On 2 June, the International Rescue Committee warned that the outbreak was "likely far worse" than official figures suggest.[10] They estimated that only 20% of the contacts in the contact tracing process were being located.[10] They reported that people are avoiding health facilities, with many people with Ebola choosing to stay in the community.[10]
On 2 June, two people were killed in protests against a proposed Ebola quarantine facility for US citizens at Laikipia Air Base outside of Nanyuki, Kenya.[77] Kenya's High Court had temporarily stopped construction of the facility, but the government vowed to continue. On 9 June, another protester was killed.[78]
On 4 June, an Ebola burial team was attacked in Katana, South Kivu province, by residents who took possession of the body.[76] Katana is located between the cities of Bukavu and Goma and is controlled by Congo River Alliance/M23 rebels.[76]
On 4 June, eleven Ebola patients fled isolation facilities in Ituri province.[79]
On 17 June, a burial team was attacked in the Mongbwalu health zone, Ituri province.[80] Five health workers were taken hostage, after being falsely accused of spreading Ebola disease.[80]
On 19 June, World Food Program staff reported that some patients have been fleeing treatment facilities in search of food.[81] The DRC government reported more than 150 patient escapes from facilities since late May, for multiple reasons.[81]
Loss of medical personnel
As of 19 June, seventeen healthcare workers have died, with 75 having been infected.[82]
International response
Africa
Egypt: The country increased surveillance.[83]
Gabon: The country stepped up its health surveillance.[84][85]
Ghana: On 19 May, an Ebola Alert was issued by Ghana Health Service and Health Ministry.[86]
Kenya: The country had three suspected cases that later tested negative.[87][88]
Nigeria: On 24 May, the Lagos State government intensified surveillance of Ebola.[89]
Mauritania: On 26 May, the government activated emergency surveillance.[90]
Rwanda: On 22 May, Rwanda introduced a mandatory quarantine for returning travellers from the DRC.[91]
Somalia: The country issued a nationwide public health warning and strengthened its emergency preparedness measures.[92]
Tanzania: The country tightened border checks and increased monitoring at airports and seaports.[93]
Uganda: On 27 May, Uganda closed its borders with DRC for at least four weeks after it reported seven cases and a death. Anyone entering Uganda from DRC would also have to be isolated for 21 days.[94]
Asia
China: On 1 June, the Foreign Ministry announced that it had sent a team of specialists to the DRC to assist in the fight against the Ebola outbreak.[95][96]
Hong Kong: On 17 May, authorities activated its Ebola preparedness and response plan, increased health screening for travellers arriving from Africa, advised against non-essential travel to those affected areas, and prepared the Penny's Bay Community Isolation Facility on Lantau Island for possible isolation of suspected imported cases.[97][98] On 21 May, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government announced to issue Red Outbound Travel Alert (OTA) for the DRC.[99]
India: On 21 May, the Ministry of Health released an emergency response plan,[100] and on 24 May, issued a public advisory against non-essential travel to affected countries.[101] From 22 May, in the state of Kerala, passengers from the affected countries require a mandatory health surveillance up to 21 days. Kerala strengthened passenger screening for all international travellers and arranged isolation environments.[102][103]
Israel: On 28 May, the government urged the public to avoid non-essential travel to areas where there is an outbreak.[104]
Indonesia: The country enhanced health monitoring at all entry points.[105]
Japan: On 18 May, The Japan Institute for Health Security (JIHS) said that Japan is at low risk of an Ebola outbreak.[106]
Kuwait: The Ministry of Health advised against travel to the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan.[107]
Malaysia: The Ministry of Health said it was monitoring travellers entering the country especially from Uganda and the DRC, including those transiting through international hubs such as Dubai, Doha and Singapore on 20 May.[108]
Nepal: The country quarantined some peacekeepers in the DRC, and has almost 1,000 currently in the DRC. It has no plans to rotate these troops and has a mandatory 21-day isolation for them.[109]
Philippines: The Department of Health (DOH) said travellers returning from those regions will receive enhanced screening.[110] The Bureau of Quarantine is also on alert at airports and seaports for border control.[111]
Singapore: On 19 May, Singapore issued health advisories and encouraged travellers from the affected region to monitor for symptoms for 21 days upon arrival.[112][113]
South Korea: The country expanded its health alert on 26 May to include Ethiopia and Rwanda, on top of the DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan. South Korea will also start checking returning travellers' mobile roaming history and data.[114]
Taiwan: The DRC and Uganda were placed on a level 2 health alert by the Taiwan CDC.[115]
Thailand: The country imposed a 21-day quarantine order for travellers arriving from DRC and Uganda on 26 May.[116]
UAE: The national airline Emirates issued a travel advisory.[117]
Vietnam: The country imposed a 21 day isolation for travellers from the DRC and Uganda on 26 May.[118]
Europe
Austria: There is an active travel advisory to the DRC and Uganda.[119]
Belgium: On 23 May, the US government told the DR Congo national football team to self-isolate. They are reported to be in isolation in Belgium.[120][121]
Italy: On 19 May, officials activated an emergency response plan in response to Ebola.[122]
Netherlands: On 22 May, a patient who visited the affected areas was hospitalised in the country.[123][124]
Poland: There is an active travel advisory issued by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, against all travels to the DRC[125] and against any non-essential travel to Uganda (except the regions bordering with DRC and South Sudan – against all travels)[126]
Portugal: New screening rules were put in place on 19 May.[127]
Russia: Health minister Mikhail Murashko said that Russia has developed an Ebola vaccine which may be effective for the Bundibugyo ebolavirus strain; however they have not yet been able to test it against a sample of the virus.[128]
Spain: Health authorities reviewed safety measures for a football match between Chile and the DRC scheduled for 9 June in La Línea de la Concepción,[129] which was then cancelled by the municipal government on 2 June, citing possible health risks.[130]
Sweden: On 17 May, the Swedish public health agency issued updated travel advisories for travellers to and from the DRC.[131] The ministry of foreign affairs has had an active travel advisory against non-essential travel to the DRC since 3 June 2025.[132]
United Kingdom: A vaccine for Ebola is in development in the UK.[133]
North America
Bahamas: On 21 May, a British Airways flight to the Cayman Islands was diverted to the nation over Ebola concerns.[134]
Canada: On 20 May, the Canadian government stated that a person in Ontario was being tested after travelling to Ethiopia and showing symptoms. They tested negative on 22 May.[135] On 21 May, a flight to Detroit had to land in Canada over a possible case of Ebola after an error in boarding.[136] On 26 May, the Public Health Agency of Canada announced the suspension of visas for residents of the DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan, and issued a quarantine requirement for individuals (including Canadian citizens and permanent residents) who had been in the same three countries in the previous 21 days.[137]
Cayman Islands: On 20 May, the islands put in enhanced screening following an Ebola scare on a flight that diverted to the Bahamas.[138]
Jamaica: The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) warned that the tourism industry would be impacted if Ebola was not under control.[139]
Mexico: On 21 May, the government issued a travel advisory for Ebola.[140]
Panama: The country issued an active alert for Ebola.[141]
St. Kitts and Nevis: On 29 May, the country denied 17 Nigerians over an Ebola scare.[142]
United States: On 15 May, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued health notices for people travelling to Uganda and to the DRC.[143][144] On 18 May, the CDC issued a 30-day prohibition on non-Americans entering the United States who have been in the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan in the preceding 21 days, with limited exceptions.[145][146] On 21 May, all returning US citizens and residents from the same three countries were required to enter the United States via Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD).[147] On 22 May, the travel ban was extended to all green card holders.[148] An American doctor who became infected with Ebola was evacuated on 18 May to Germany where he recovered.[62]
Oceania
Australia: The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing issued a health alert for Ebola, and considered it to be low risk.[149]
Fiji: The Ministry of Health and Medical Services issued a advisory for the affected areas and all countries that shared a land border which included South Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Angola, the Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic.[150]
South America
Brazil: There is an active alert for Ebola.[151] As of 31 May, there were two suspected cases of Ebola inside the country,[152] but their tests returned negative.[153]
Chile: Concerns were raised in relation to the upcoming World Cup match between it and the DRC in Spain.[154] Experts have warned the country to be on alert.[155]
Colombia: On 20 May, Colombia issued an alert in relation to an upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup match between it and the DRC.[156]
Peru: Since 2019, there has been an active alert for Ebola.[157]
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