Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak Updates

Author: Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 2026/06/09
Publication Type: Informative

Contents: Synopsis - Definition - Introduction - Main - Related Publications

Synopsis: Track the evolving Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in DRC and Uganda: case counts, deaths, cross-border spread, and the latest WHO response and risk levels.

At a Glance

• 1 - The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a zoonotic Ebola species with fruit bats suspected as its natural reservoir, and it currently has no approved vaccine or specific treatment, so control relies on detection, isolation, and contact tracing.
• 2 - On 5 June 2026, Africa CDC and WHO launched a joint continental preparedness and response plan seeking US$518 million to combat the outbreak.
• 3 - The virus's two-to-21-day incubation period and non-specific early symptoms make it difficult to distinguish from illnesses such as malaria without laboratory confirmation.

Topic Definition: Ebola Virus Disease

Ebola virus disease (EVD), also known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever or simply Ebola, is a severe and often fatal illness affecting humans and other primates, caused by viruses of the family Filoviridae, genus Ebolavirus. The virus passes to people from wild animals and then spreads through human-to-human transmission, typically by direct contact with the blood or secretions of an infected person or with contaminated objects such as needles. After an incubation period of two days to three weeks, it generally begins with fever, sore throat, muscle pain, and headache, followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rash, reduced liver and kidney function, and in some cases internal and external bleeding. Of the five identified subspecies, four have caused disease in people, making Ebola one of the deadliest viruses known to humankind.

Introduction

Suspected Cause

Bundibugyo virus is a zoonotic Orthoebolavirus species, with fruit bats suspected as the natural reservoir, that spreads person-to-person through contact with bodily fluids and is amplified in healthcare settings and during unsafe burials. Its two-to-21-day incubation period and non-specific early symptoms make it hard to distinguish from illnesses like malaria without lab confirmation, and there are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments, so control depends on rapid detection, isolation, contact tracing, and community engagement.

Main Content

Symptoms of Ebola Image

Ebola Outbreak Updates - 2026

8th June, 2026 - Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda

The WHO Disease Outbreak News page reports on a rapidly escalating outbreak of Bundibugyo virus disease, a severe form of Ebola, spreading across the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. As of 6 June 2026, the two countries had reported a combined 534 confirmed cases and 93 deaths, giving a case fatality rate of around 17%, with at least 17 people recovered. Case numbers have climbed sharply since the previous update on 29 May, driven partly by expanded testing that cleared a backlog of previously collected samples.

The bulk of the outbreak is in the DRC, which accounts for 515 confirmed cases and 91 deaths across 25 health zones in Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu provinces. Ituri Province is the epicenter, holding the vast majority of cases, though North Kivu shows a far higher fatality rate. Uganda has reported 19 confirmed cases and several deaths, all epidemiologically linked to travelers from the DRC, with no documented community transmission. One notable case involved a Congolese national who traveled through Uganda to the United Arab Emirates and back, prompting cross-border contact tracing, though no secondary spread was identified in the UAE. Security incidents affecting health facilities in the DRC are complicating surveillance and response efforts.

On the response side, authorities in both countries, working with WHO and partners, are coordinating field teams, strengthening surveillance and laboratory capacity, and setting up treatment centers. On 5 June, Africa CDC and WHO launched a joint continental preparedness and response plan seeking US$518 million. WHO assesses the risk as very high in the DRC, high in Uganda and neighboring border countries, and low for the rest of Africa and globally, while advising against any travel or trade restrictions on the affected countries.

29th May, 2026 - Ebola Disease Caused by Bundibugyo Virus, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda

The BVD outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda continued to evolve rapidly, with rising case numbers, wider geographic spread, and ongoing cross-border transmission. As of 27 May, the DRC had reported 906 suspected cases and 223 deaths among suspected cases. As of 29 May, a total of 134 confirmed cases - including nine in Uganda - and 18 deaths among confirmed cases had been reported across both countries, giving a case fatality rate of about 14 percent. This represented an additional 49 confirmed cases, eight confirmed deaths, 160 suspected cases, and 47 suspected deaths since the 21 May update. Separately, a medical doctor from the United States, who had been exposed while caring for patients in the DRC, tested positive on 17 May and was transported to Germany for treatment and care.

In the DRC, transmission remained concentrated in Ituri Province, which accounted for 88 percent of confirmed cases, along with North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. The highest case numbers in Ituri were reported from the Bunia, Rwampara, Mongbwalu, and Nyankunde Health Zones, and 16 confirmed cases had been reported among health and care workers. Security incidents against health facilities and community resistance emerged as major operational challenges, with recent incidents in the Mongbwalu and Rwampara Health Zones creating additional risks of undetected transmission. In Uganda, the nine confirmed cases were reported in Kampala and Wakiso, with exposure risks linked to health-care settings and cross-border movement.

On 22 May 2026, WHO assessed the risk of the outbreak as very high at the national level in the DRC, high at the regional level, and low at the global level. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus traveled to the DRC on 28 May to support the response. WHO advised against any restriction of travel to, or trade with, the DRC or Uganda based on the information available. National authorities, working with WHO and partners, continued to deploy rapid response teams, deliver medical supplies, strengthen surveillance and laboratory confirmation, reinforce infection prevention and control, establish safe and optimized treatment centers, and prioritize community engagement.

21st May, 2026 - Ebola Disease Caused by Bundibugyo Virus, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Following the declarations of 15 May 2026, when the DRC Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene and Social Welfare and the Uganda Ministry of Health declared an Ebola Disease outbreak after BVD was confirmed in both countries, and the 17 May 2026 PHEIC determination by the WHO Director-General, the response continued to expand. On 19 May 2026, the Director-General convened the first meeting of the IHR Emergency Committee, and temporary recommendations were issued to States Parties.

As of 21 May, the DRC had reported 746 suspected cases and 176 deaths among those suspected cases. Across both countries, 85 confirmed cases - including two in Uganda - and 10 deaths among confirmed cases, one of them in Uganda, had been reported. In the DRC, transmission was concentrated in Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu provinces, with challenges in contact follow-up, insecure conditions, and inadequate isolation and referral systems complicating response efforts. Uganda reported two imported cases with no confirmed local transmission. An American national who had been working in the DRC was also confirmed positive and transferred to Germany for care.

National authorities, in collaboration with WHO and partners, continued to implement response measures including the deployment of rapid response teams, delivery of medical supplies, strengthened surveillance, laboratory confirmation, infection prevention and control assessments, the set-up of safe and optimized treatment centers, and community engagement.

16th May, 2026 - Ebola Disease Caused by Bundibugyo Virus, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda

On 5 May 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) was alerted to a high-mortality outbreak of an unknown illness in the Mongbwalu Health Zone, Ituri Province, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), including deaths among health workers. On 14 May 2026, the Institut national de recherche biomédicale (INRB) in Kinshasa analyzed 13 blood samples drawn from the Rwampara Health Zone in Ituri Province. The following day, 15 May, laboratory analysis confirmed Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD), a species of Ebola, in eight of those samples.

Case fatality rates in the past two BVD outbreaks have ranged from 30 percent to 50 percent. Unlike Ebola virus disease, there is no licensed vaccine or specific therapeutic against Bundibugyo virus, although early supportive care can be lifesaving. On 15 May 2026, the Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene and Social Welfare in the DRC officially declared the country's 17th Ebola Disease outbreak. At the same time, the Uganda Ministry of Health confirmed an outbreak of BVD after identifying one imported case from the DRC - a Congolese man who died in the capital city of Kampala.

On 17 May 2026, after consulting the States Parties where the event was known to be occurring, the WHO Director-General determined that the Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus in the DRC and Uganda constituted a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), as defined under the International Health Regulations (IHR). Response measures at this stage included the deployment of rapid response teams, delivery of medical supplies, strengthened surveillance, laboratory confirmation, infection prevention and control assessments, the establishment of safe treatment centers, and community engagement. WHO supported the coordination of the response, case management, and cross-border preparedness, and issued advice to countries.

Author Credentials: Ian is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, a leading resource for news and information on disability issues. With a global perspective shaped by years of travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed proponent of the Social Model of Disability-a transformative framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that emphasizes dismantling societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments. His work reflects a deep commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.