2026 Ituri Province Ebola epidemic
A map of the Democratic Republic of the Congo with Ituri Province in dark red (marked >500) and Kinshasa, North Kivu and Uganda in lighter red (marked 1, 1 and 2 respectively)
Reported cases by province or country
Disease Ebola
Pathogen Bundibugyo virus (BDBV)
Location Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda
First reported 15 May 2026
Confirmed cases 51 (as of 20 May 2026)[1]
Suspected cases 653[2]
Deaths
144

In May 2026, an epidemic of Ebola disease was reported in the Ituri Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It is the 17th Ebola outbreak in DRC and only 5 months after the end of the previous outbreak.[3] Imported cases from Ituri have been reported in the capital city of Kinshasa and its North Kivu Province, as well as in Uganda's capital city of Kampala.

The epidemic is caused by the Bundibugyo ebolavirus, which complicates response efforts as there are no proven vaccines and treatments; existing Ebola treatments are for the Zaire ebolavirus.[4] The outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organization on 16 May 2026. As of 19 May 2026, 543 suspected cases and at least 131 deaths have been reported.[5][6][7] It is considered likely that the true number of infections could considerably exceed current estimates.[8]

Context

There have been 16 previous outbreaks of Ebola disease in the DRC.[3] There have been two previous outbreaks of Bundibugyo virus (BDBV),[9] 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.[10] The virus is estimated to have a fatality rate between 25 and 50%.[11]

There is no approved vaccine or medicine for the Bundibugyo virus.[12] Experimental vaccines have been tested on macaques.[13] Experts have discussed the possibility of using the vaccine approved for Zaire ebolavirus, Ervebo, for Bundibugyo ebola patients. An animal study suggests that it may be partially effective against Bundibugyo virus but there are concerns around effectiveness and safety of a vaccine designed for a different strain of virus.[14]

The outbreak is occurring in Ituri, an area affected by the ongoing conflict in Ituri, which is a humanitarian crisis with 1.9 million people in need of aid. There are large amounts of refugee movements and cross-border travel in the area, as well as mining-related travel. The conflict and travel complicates efforts to contact trace, as populations are highly mobile and healthcare workers have been attacked. Additionally, Ituri's status as a commercial and migratory hub greatly increases the risk of diseases spreading to the broader region.[15]

Epidemiology

Ebola viruses are endemic to Central and West Africa, where bats carry the disease without suffering symptoms. The virus can infect other mammals that prey on bats, and can transmit to humans who have contact with infected bats, carcasses, or bushmeat.[16][17]

The origin of this outbreak is unknown. The earliest known suspected case, in Ituri, was a man who began experiencing symptoms on 24 April 2026 and died three days later.[18] The World Health Organization (WHO) was alerted to a potential Ebola outbreak on 5 May 2026 and it dispatched a response team.[19] Initial samples tested negative for Ebola as the tests used only detect Zaire ebolavirus, not the Bundibugyo ebolavirus. Tests that detect the Bundibugyo ebolavirus were later used, with the first positive tests being confirmed on 14 May 2026.[20]

Congolese health authorities publicly confirmed hundreds of cases of Ebola virus disease in Ituri Province on 15 May 2026.[19] Health experts were alarmed that the outbreak had progressed to have hundreds of suspected cases by the time it was first reported. By 16 May 2026, three health zones in Ituri had confirmed or suspected cases; cases were also confirmed in the DRC's capital, Kinshasa, and the Ugandan capital Kampala.[21]

On 16 May 2026, 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 eastern DRC, the WHO was unable to ascertain the geographic spread of the epidemic or true number of infections.[21]

Health authorities confirmed on 17 May a positive case in Goma, a city in North Kivu Province that is currently under control by the March 23 Movement, after a woman infected with Ebola travelled there from Ituri.[22]

A group of Ugandans attended a burial in eastern DRC and returned to Uganda. Some developed symptoms of Ebola and have been taken to Fort Portal for treatment.[23]

Healthcare response

On 16 May 2026, the WHO declared the epidemic a public health emergency of international concern.[15] The same day, Médecins Sans Frontières announced that it has teams in the area and is planning to mobilise more resources to fight the epidemic.[24]

As of 18 May 2026, health authorities in the DRC are establishing field hospitals in Ituri's capital, Bunia, after hospitals in the city became overwhelmed. Authorities are also working to bring supplies into the region.[5]

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control announced on 18 May that they would send experts to the region to assist in managing the response to the epidemic.[25]

Other measures

On 15 May 2026, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued travel health notices for people traveling to Uganda[26] and to DRC.[27]

On 18 May 2026, the US CDC issued a 30-day prohibition on non-Americans entering the United States who have been in DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan in the preceding 21 days, with limited exceptions.[28][29]

On 18 May 2026, Peter Stafford, an American physician working in the DRC as a Christian missionary, tested positive for Ebola; his wife and children were then monitored for signs of Ebola but were asymptomatic at the time.[30] On 19 May 2026, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that he was in transit to Germany for treatment.[31]

On 19 May 2026, the government of Uganda temporarily banned handshakes, hugs, and unnecessary physical contact.[32] 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.[33]

See also

  • List of Ebola outbreaks

References

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