DR Congo Ebola outbreak hits 1,800 cases, over 600 deaths

The Democratic Republic of Congo declared a Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak on 15 May 2026 in Ituri province. By early July the outbreak had become the fastest‑growing recorded, with 1,792–1,830 confirmed cases and 625–648 deaths, a case‑fatality rate around 34 %. The virus spread from the Ituri epicentre to North and South Kivu and Alto Uele, and crossed the border into Uganda (20 cases, two deaths). New suspected cases were reported in Kisangani, Tshopo province, raising concerns of a separate transmission chain.

Armed conflict and the presence of the M23 rebel group have hampered surveillance, access to health facilities and the safety of responders. Contact‑tracing coverage sits at roughly 78‑82 % of over 10,000 identified contacts. Front‑line workers have staged strikes over unpaid wages, and several health centres have been attacked.

The World Health Organization declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern and authorised the first molecular diagnostic test. The United Nations released US$60 million in emergency funding, while Africa CDC and African scientists have taken the lead in coordinating the response, building new treatment wards and launching a clinical trial of remdesivir and the monoclonal antibody MBP134. No approved vaccine or specific treatment exists for the Bundibugyo strain, but the trial aims to assess efficacy in humans.

International donors are being urged to provide additional resources as the outbreak continues to expand amid ongoing insecurity.