Uganda Closes Border with Congo as Ebola Outbreak Surges

May 27, 2026

Uganda closed its border with Democratic Republic of Congo amid a worsening Ebola outbreak of the Bundibugyo species, for which no vaccines or medicines exist. The outbreak has caused 220 suspected deaths and 17 lab-confirmed deaths, with medics racing to trace 3,600 contacts. WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrives May 29, 2026 to scale up containment as conflict in eastern DRC hampers response efforts.

Conflict hampering outbreak response

▪Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo is at the centre of a catastrophic collision of disease and conflict.
▪Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the World Health Organization cannot build community trust or isolate the sick while bombs are falling.
▪Attacks on health facilities in the Democratic Republic of Congo are making tracking Ebola cases and their contacts nearly impossible.
▪The Ebola outbreak in Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of Congo is outpacing the response.
▪Ongoing clashes in the Democratic Republic of Congo are driving mass displacement and pushing exposed contacts into overcrowded camps.

International travel restrictions

▪The United States banned non-citizens who had travelled to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan from entering.
▪Canada announced a temporary 90-day entry ban on residents from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan.
▪The Bahamas imposed strict rules meaning foreign nationals from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan face quarantine or isolation measures.

Bundibugyo Ebola strain challenges

▪The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is a rare species known as Bundibugyo.
▪Experimental treatments including an antibody developed in the United States could be introduced soon for the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak.

Medical infrastructure deployment

▪Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is due to arrive in the Democratic Republic of Congo on May 29, 2026 to spearhead scaling up efforts to contain the Ebola virus.
▪Ewald Stals said it will take several weeks to get proper infrastructure in place to contain the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
▪The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said on May 29, 2026 it would be increasing its presence on the ground in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
▪The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said more of its experts would be deployed via the EU Health Task Force.
▪A further 4,000 Ebola tests are due to be sent out in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
▪2,000 Ebola tests have been distributed in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Case tracking difficulties

▪Around 1,000 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo are currently showing symptoms consistent with Ebola.
▪There have been 220 suspected deaths since the Ebola outbreak was declared in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
▪Medics are facing a race against time to trace 3,600 people identified as contacts of the infected group in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
▪The Democratic Republic of Congo health authorities have confirmed by lab tests that 17 people have died from Ebola.