Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo spreads to two additional provinces

The Democratic Republic of Congo's 17th Ebola outbreak has spread to Haut-Uele and Tshopo provinces, bringing the total to 1,926 confirmed cases and 702 deaths. Caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain, which has no approved vaccine, the outbreak is the fastest-growing in history. An infected American aid worker is receiving treatment in Frankfurt. Containment efforts face severe challenges, including regional conflict, community mistrust, and a strike by unpaid health workers in Ituri province.

Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak spread

• ▪The Democratic Republic of Congo's 17th Ebola outbreak was declared on May 15, 2026, and has been concentrated in Ituri province, with cases also in North Kivu and South Kivu
• ▪The Democratic Republic of Congo's confirmed Ebola cases rose to 1,926, including 702 deaths, as of July 12, 2026
• ▪Four Ebola cases, including two deaths, were recorded in Tshopo province, and one death was confirmed in Haut-Uele province, as of July 11, 2026
• ▪A senior World Health Organization official stated that the true scale of the Ebola outbreak could be two to four times larger than official data indicate
• ▪The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has spread to two additional northeastern provinces, Haut-Uele and Tshopo

Rare Ebola strain characteristics

• ▪Ebola is highly contagious, spreading through direct contact with bodily fluids from infected people or animals, and causes symptoms like high fever, vomiting, and bleeding
• ▪An American citizen working for a humanitarian organization in Congo contracted the Bundibugyo Ebola variant and was admitted to Frankfurt University Hospital on July 13, 2026
• ▪The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a rare strain of Ebola that has no approved vaccines

Regional instability complicating response

• ▪The Ebola outbreak is unfolding in a volatile region of eastern Congo characterized by bare-bones infrastructure, rebel threats, and community mistrust
• ▪Community outreach and prevention efforts face resistance, including accusations that the Ebola outbreak is a scam and physical attacks on health centers

Health worker strikes

• ▪The striking staff in Ituri province included epidemiologists, case investigators, drivers, and gravediggers who have received little or no pay from the Congolese government
• ▪Unpaid staff at an Ebola treatment center in Ituri province closed the facility, blocked access, and burned a tire on July 13, 2026, to protest lack of pay

Experimental treatment study enrollment

• ▪Researchers have begun a study in one Ituri province treatment center to evaluate Gilead Sciences' remdesivir and Mapp Biopharmaceutical's experimental MBP134 against Bundibugyo Ebola
• ▪The World Health Organization warned that determining the efficacy of the experimental treatments could take months and require up to 1,000 study participants