Violent attacks on Ebola treatment centers in eastern DR Congo are severely hampering the response to a major outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain. Fueled by misinformation and demands for unsafe burials, mobs have burned facilities, allowing at least 25 patients to flee. With over 900 suspected cases and 220 deaths, officials warn the epidemic is outpacing containment efforts as a confirmed case now circulates in the community.
Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC
- ▪The Africa CDC declared an Ebola outbreak in DRC's Ituri province on May 15, 2026
- ▪The WHO declared the Ebola outbreak in the DRC a "public health emergency of international concern."
- ▪The outbreak has spread to neighboring Uganda, which has confirmed seven cases, including one death
- ▪The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has resulted in over 900 suspected cases and 220 suspected deaths
Attacks on treatment facilities
- ▪An Ebola treatment center in Mongbwalu was attacked on two consecutive days, forcing patients to flee
- ▪One confirmed Ebola case is circulating in the community after fleeing the Mongbwalu treatment center during an attack
- ▪A total of 25 patients fled the Mongbwalu General Referral Hospital during two separate attacks over one weekend
- ▪Protesters set fire to an Ebola treatment center in Rwampara after being denied the body of a deceased victim
Misinformation fueling community distrust
- ▪The bodies of Ebola victims are highly infectious, and unsafe burials are a primary driver of the virus's transmission
- ▪The attacks are driven by community members demanding bodies of deceased relatives for traditional burials, a practice that spreads the virus
- ▪A Congolese official stated that many residents in Ituri province believe "Ebola is a lie" and a "White man’s invention."
Bundibugyo strain characteristics
- ▪The WHO has suggested the antiviral drug Obeldesivir could potentially be used as a preventative treatment for those exposed to Ebola
- ▪The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has no specific vaccine or treatment
- ▪The Bundibugyo virus had not been seen for over a decade before this outbreak
Humanitarian crisis resource shortages
- ▪The Ebola response is compounded by a wider humanitarian crisis, with 26.5 million people in the DRC facing acute food insecurity
- ▪The UN has committed $60 million to response efforts, while a broader $319 million budget agreed upon by affected countries remains largely unfunded
International containment response efforts
- ▪An American doctor who contracted Ebola in the DRC is being treated in a specialized high-security unit in Berlin, Germany
- ▪Authorities in northeastern Congo have banned funeral wakes and gatherings of more than 50 people to curb the virus's spread
- ▪The U.S. government is restricting green card holders who have recently been in Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan from re-entering the country
- ▪The WHO has raised its risk assessment for the outbreak within the DRC to "very high," but the global risk remains low
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