Ebola Outbreak in DRC and Uganda Reaches 1,333 Confirmed Cases – Third-Largest Outbreak on Record

Urgent Public Health Emergency Unfolds Across Central Africa

The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda has become the third-largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded, with confirmed cases now exceeding 1,333 and fatalities nearing 400. Declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organization in May 2026, the outbreak continues to outpace response efforts across eastern Congo and into neighboring Uganda.

As of June 29, 2026, the DRC’s National Institute of Public Health reported 1,333 confirmed cases and 399 related deaths. An additional 609 patients remain hospitalized in isolation. The outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus species, has now spread across 35 of 104 health zones in three Congolese provinces — Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu — with a suspected fourth province, Haut-Uele, also affected.

Uganda and International Cases

Uganda has reported 20 confirmed cases including two deaths, with the last confirmed case recorded on June 21, 2026. Fifteen of those infected had travel links to the DRC, while five involved local transmission. Fifteen individuals have since recovered. The outbreak has not remained contained to Africa — two imported cases have reached Europe: one French humanitarian doctor repatriated on June 24, and one U.S. citizen medically evacuated to Germany on May 19. Both cases originated from the affected regions in eastern DRC.

The Silent Killer: Bundibugyo Strain

Unlike the better-known Zaire strain of Ebola, which causes dramatic hemorrhagic symptoms, the Bundibugyo virus presents a unique challenge to clinicians. Dr. John Katabuka, who heads Bunia General Hospital’s Ebola treatment centre, describes the strain as moving “silently through your body without you noticing it.” Symptoms typically only appear in the final, critical stages of infection, making early detection extremely difficult.

There is currently no approved vaccine specifically for the Bundibugyo strain, which underscores the importance of early detection, contact tracing, and community engagement in containing the outbreak. This lack of a targeted vaccine makes this outbreak fundamentally different from previous Ebola epidemics in the region.

Mongbwalu: The Epicenter

The outbreak is believed to have originated in Mongbwalu, a gold-mining town of approximately 130,000 people in Ituri province. The town’s economy and social structure have proven to be amplifying factors for virus transmission. Artisanal gold miners work in close quarters, and the highly mobile workforce — many displaced by ongoing conflict with M23 rebels — has carried the virus across provincial and national borders.

Joseph Mute, a neighborhood leader in Mongbwalu’s Shuni neighborhood — one of the hardest-hit areas — described witnessing a string of mysterious deaths before the government officially declared the outbreak. Residents initially attributed the illness to tuberculosis, AIDS, mercury poisoning, or even supernatural causes. By the time genomic sequencing confirmed Bundibugyo virus on May 15, more than 50 people had already died in the Shuni neighborhood alone.

Community Resistance and Attacks on Health Workers

Mistrust of health responders has become a serious obstacle. Rumors circulating in affected communities suggest that aid groups are spreading the disease to profit from the crisis. In mid-May, isolation tents at the Rwampara treatment centre were set on fire by angry relatives of a young man believed to have died from Ebola after being prevented from taking his body for burial.

Red Cross volunteers face hostility regularly. Alex Lock of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies reported that two volunteers were injured and had to be evacuated to Kinshasa just three weeks ago. Safe burials — essential for preventing further transmission — are frequently disrupted by families who insist on traditional funeral customs despite the risks.

Response Efforts Scaling Up

The Congolese government is leading the response alongside the WHO, Africa CDC, and United Nations agencies. Treatment centres are being expanded — the Bunia General Hospital facility is adding 86 beds to its existing 50-bed capacity. Africa CDC’s Yap Boum noted significant improvements in laboratory capacity, surveillance, and treatment infrastructure, but acknowledged that “the number of cases and deaths continues to rise.”

Key challenges include:

• Contact tracing gaps: Only 82.7% of identified contacts are under follow-up in Ituri and North Kivu provinces
• Displacement camps: Over 1.3 million people live in camps due to decades of armed conflict, complicating surveillance efforts
• Testing delays: Initial screening for Zaire and Sudan virus species delayed recognition of the Bundibugyo strain by weeks
• Underreporting: Aid workers believe official numbers significantly understate the true scale due to avoidance of medical care and testing delays
• Geographic spread: Cases spanning four provinces and two countries, with porous borders complicating containment

Hope Amid the Crisis

Despite the grim statistics, there are positive developments. One hundred and eighty-nine people have recovered from the virus and been discharged. Survivors, who are unlikely to be reinfected, have become invaluable responders — some returning to treatment centres to care for patients, others campaigning door-to-door to educate their communities.

Gladys Munguromo, who lost three relatives in one week and survived infection herself, now campaigns across villages with a simple, urgent message: “If you stay home sick, you will die. Seek treatment early.”

The coming weeks will be critical. International health agencies continue to call for accelerated funding, expanded treatment capacity, and improved community engagement to bring the outbreak under control before it reaches even greater proportions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the current status of the Ebola outbreak in DRC and Uganda?

As of late June 2026, there are 1,333 confirmed cases and 399 deaths across the DRC, with 20 confirmed cases and 2 deaths in Uganda. The outbreak is the third-largest Ebola outbreak in history and has been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

What strain of Ebola is causing this outbreak?

The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus species, a rarer strain of Ebola. Unlike the Zaire strain, there is no approved vaccine for Bundibugyo, and its symptoms often remain hidden until the late stages of infection.

Has Ebola spread beyond Africa?

Two imported cases have been reported outside Africa — one in France (a humanitarian doctor) and one in Germany (a U.S. citizen medically evacuated from DRC). The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control assesses the risk of infection for EU/EEA residents as very low.

Why is this outbreak so difficult to contain?

Multiple factors complicate containment: the silent symptom profile of the Bundibugyo strain, community mistrust leading to attacks on health workers, a highly mobile mining workforce, large displacement camps due to conflict, and porous borders between DRC and Uganda.

What should travelers know about the Ebola outbreak?

The CDC and WHO advise avoiding non-essential travel to affected areas in eastern DRC. Travelers to the region should practice strict hand hygiene, avoid contact with sick individuals and bodily fluids, and seek immediate medical attention if fever or other symptoms develop within 21 days of potential exposure.