DR Congo declares new Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in Ituri province
In May 2026 DR Congo declared its 17th Ebola outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, after cases were confirmed in Ituri and North Kivu.
This summary was written by AI to complete the context; it is not based on a current source.
On 15 May 2026, health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo declared a new Ebola outbreak after cases were confirmed in the eastern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu. It was the country's 17th Ebola outbreak. Tests showed it was caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a rarer species than the Zaire strain behind most earlier outbreaks. Cases were later also confirmed in South Kivu.
Early reports cited hundreds of suspected cases and dozens of deaths. The outbreak also reached neighbouring Uganda. On 17 May, the World Health Organization declared it a public health emergency of international concern, its highest alert level. Some reports date the declaration to 16 May.
The outbreak mattered because Bundibugyo has no licensed vaccine or specific treatment, unlike the Zaire strain, which limited the tools available to health workers. The affected region is also hit by conflict and population movement, which complicates tracing and care. By late July 2026, confirmed cases in DR Congo had passed 3,000, making it one of the deadliest Ebola outbreaks on record.
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DR Congo Ebola outbreak and UK case · 3 updates
What happened before and after this story. Background events not previously covered were summarised by AI.
