Ebola Virus Outbreak

Ebola Outbreak

Update #3 25/05/2026

Occurrence update

Since the previous Outbreak News published on 16 May 2026, the number of suspected and confirmed cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has risen rapidly, with the outbreak spreading geographically into North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. As of 21 May 2026, the DRC had reported a total of 746 suspected cases, including 176 deaths among suspected cases. Across both the DRC and Uganda, 85 confirmed cases, including two cases in Uganda, and ten confirmed deaths, including one in Uganda, have been reported.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

As of 21 May 2026, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) had reported a total of 83 confirmed Ebola cases, including nine deaths. In addition, 746 suspected cases, including 176 deaths, have been reported across 15 health zones in Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu provinces. To date, four deaths have been reported among healthcare workers. Ongoing epidemiological and laboratory investigations are being conducted to verify and reclassify suspected cases and deaths reported in the country.

The most affected health zones are Mongbwalu, Rwampara, and Bunia, which together account for 96% of suspected cases and 79% of confirmed cases.

An American national working as a surgeon in the DRC has also been confirmed to have Ebola virus disease. The exposure is believed to have occurred during a medical procedure performed on 11 May 2026. Symptoms reportedly began on 16 May, and laboratory confirmation was obtained on 20 May. The patient is currently receiving treatment in a high-level isolation unit in Berlin, Germany.

Response efforts continue to face several significant challenges, including the lack of standardized isolation and treatment facilities, as well as weak screening and referral systems. Inconsistent implementation of safe and dignified burial practices continues to increase the risk of healthcare-associated transmission. Cross-border transmission also remains a major concern due to ongoing insecurity, humanitarian crises, high population mobility, urban and semi-urban transmission hotspots, and porous international borders, highlighting the need for strengthened surveillance and enhanced cross-border information sharing.

Affected communities are facing increasingly difficult conditions, with growing concerns regarding access to free and supportive healthcare services, the availability of respectful and dignified burial practices, and the spread of misinformation and rumours. In addition, ongoing conflict in Ituri Province continues to hinder outbreak response activities by restricting the movement of surveillance teams, delaying the deployment of Rapid Response Teams, and affecting the transportation of laboratory samples.

Uganda

As of 20 May 2026, Uganda had reported two confirmed Ebola cases, including one death, both linked to importation from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The first confirmed case was admitted to a private hospital in Kampala on 11 May and subsequently died on 14 May. The body was repatriated to the DRC on the same day.

The second confirmed case was identified on 16 May in Kampala in an individual who had recently returned from the DRC and had no known epidemiological connection to the first case. The patient is currently receiving treatment at the Mulago Isolation Treatment Unit in Uganda. As of the reporting date, no evidence of local transmission has been detected in Uganda.

As of 18 May 2026, a total of 127 contacts linked to the two confirmed imported cases had been identified and were under active follow-up. These contacts include household members, close personal contacts, and healthcare workers or patients exposed in the healthcare facilities where the cases received treatment.

The risk of exposure remains associated with both healthcare settings and cross-border population movements. On 18 May, authorities reported and investigated 18 alerts related to suspected Ebola cases. Additionally, four active cross-border exposure clusters identified in Ntoroko District are currently under investigation to assess potential transmission risks and strengthen containment measures.

References

• https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2026-DON603
• https://www.cdc.gov/ebola/situation-summary/index.html

Ebola Outbreak

Update #2 21/05/2026

Occurrence update

On May 17, a United States national who had been exposed to Ebola Bundibugyo disease while providing patient care in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) tested positive for the infection. The individual was transferred to Germany for specialized treatment and clinical management, as Germany has prior experience in handling Ebola cases and offers a shorter transport time for medical evacuation.

Several high-risk contacts linked to this exposure have also been relocated to Germany and Czechia for monitoring and preventive management. At present, no additional Ebola cases have been identified among U.S. nationals.

According to updates released on May 19 by the Ministries of Health of the DRC and Uganda, the outbreak situation includes:

• 536 suspected cases
• 105 probable cases
• 34 confirmed cases
• 134 suspected deaths

Source- WHO- Health Zones affected by Bundibugyo virus disease in Democratic Republic of Congo

Within the previous 24–48 hours, health authorities reported 26 newly confirmed cases and 143 additional suspected cases, indicating continued transmission and active surveillance efforts.

The reported figures also include two confirmed cases in Uganda, one of which resulted in death, involving individuals who had recently travelled from the DRC. No evidence of further transmission within Uganda has been documented so far.

The situation remains highly dynamic, and epidemiological data may continue to change as investigations and laboratory confirmations progress.

On May 18, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies, implemented precautionary public health and travel-related measures aimed at reducing the risk of Ebola importation into the United States. Additional details regarding enhanced travel screening and security protocols are expected to be released.

Despite these developments, public health authorities continue to assess the overall risk of Ebola transmission to the United States as low.

India’s Current Actions on the Ebola Outbreak (May 2026)

India has strengthened its preparedness and response measures following the recent Ebola outbreak in affected African countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda. Enhanced airport screening has been initiated for passengers arriving from or transiting through affected regions, while travel advisories have been issued asking travellers to immediately report symptoms such as fever, vomiting, bleeding, or weakness and seek medical care if symptoms develop after travel. The Union Health Ministry has conducted high-level review meetings with all states and Union Territories to assess preparedness and response capacity. Surveillance systems have been strengthened through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and airport and port health authorities. Laboratory preparedness has also been enhanced, with the National Institute of Virology designated as a key Ebola testing center. Hospitals and isolation facilities across the country have been instructed to maintain adequate PPE supplies, infection prevention and control measures, and rapid response readiness. In addition, healthcare workers have been sensitized and trained regarding early symptom detection, infection prevention and control practices, safe sample handling, and contact tracing procedures.

Reference

• https://www.cdc.gov/ebola/situation-summary/index.html
• https://indianexpress.com/article/health-wellness/ebola-alert-health-ministry-airport-screening-surveillance-lab-preparedness-10696700/?utm
• https://indianexpress.com/article/health-wellness/ebola-alert-health-ministry-airport-screening-surveillance-lab-preparedness-10696700/lite/?utm
• https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/india-tightens-ebola-surveillance-at-airports-issues-health-advisory-for-travellers-from-african-nations/articleshow/131240702.cms?utm

Ebola Virus Outbreak

Update #1 16/05/2026

Occurrence update

On 5 May 2026, health authorities received an alert regarding an unidentified illness with a high fatality rate in the Mongbwalu Health Zone of Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of Congo. The alert included reports of four health workers who died within a period of four days. Following field investigations conducted by rapid response teams in the Mongbwalu and Rwampara health zones on 13 May, laboratory findings later confirmed the outbreak as Bundibugyo Virus Disease (BVD) caused by the Bundibugyo virus species on 15 May 2026.

On the same day, the Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene and Social Welfare officially declared the 17th Ebola disease outbreak in DRC, affecting the Rwampara, Mongbwalu, and Bunia health zones.

The earliest known suspected case was a health worker who developed symptoms including fever, bleeding, vomiting, and severe weakness on 24 April 2026. The patient later died at a medical facility in Bunia.

As of 15 May 2026, approximately 246 suspected cases and 80 deaths, including four among laboratory-confirmed cases, had been reported from the affected health zones. Twenty-four suspected cases were being managed in isolation facilities across the three health zones. In addition, investigations are ongoing into several clusters of unexplained community deaths with symptoms consistent with Bundibugyo Virus Disease in other areas of Ituri and North Kivu provinces.

Most suspected cases have been reported among individuals aged 20–39 years, with women accounting for more than 60% of cases, indicating a possible increased risk related to caregiving and household exposure.

Initial laboratory testing of 20 samples collected from Rwampara Health Zone at the Provincial Public Health Laboratory in Bunia returned negative results using standard Ebola Xpert testing. However, further testing at INRB confirmed eight samples positive for Ortho ebolavirus by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on 15 May 2026. Genomic sequencing later identified the virus as Bundibugyo virus (BDBV). Bundibugyo Virus Disease is caused by the Bundibugyo virus (BDBV), a member of the Orthoebolavirus genus under the Filoviridae family. It is one of the three Ebola virus species known to cause severe disease and outbreaks in humans, along with Ebola virus (EBOV) and Sudan virus (SUDV). Currently, no licensed vaccine or specific treatment is available for Bundibugyo Virus Disease, although research and development of candidate vaccines and therapeutics are ongoing.

As of 15 May, a total of 65 contacts had been identified, including 15 categorized as high-risk contacts. Contact follow-up activities remain challenging due to insecurity and movement restrictions in the affected areas. Several listed contacts reportedly developed symptoms and died before they could be isolated.

On 15 May 2026, the Uganda Ministry of Health confirmed an outbreak of Bundibugyo Virus Disease after detecting an imported case from DRC. The case involved an elderly man who was admitted to a private hospital on 11 May with severe symptoms and died on 14 May. His body was later transferred back to DRC on the same day. Laboratory testing of samples collected during admission confirmed Bundibugyo virus infection on 15 May. A second imported case was confirmed in Kampala on 16 May in an individual returning from DRC who had no known epidemiological link to the first case. At the time of reporting, no local transmission had been identified in Uganda.

Current investigations suggest that the outbreak may have originated in the Mongbwalu Health Zone, a densely populated mining area with high levels of population movement. Cases are believed to have subsequently spread to Rwampara and Bunia as affected individuals travelled to seek medical care. Ituri Province shares borders with Uganda and South Sudan, while Bunia is located less than 500 kilometres from Uganda. Epidemiological investigations and trace-back activities remain ongoing.

The role of Ituri as a major commercial and migration hub, along with its proximity to Uganda and South Sudan, continues to increase the risk of regional spread and cross-border transmission.