US provides experimental Ebola treatment as Congo outbreak surpasses 1,000 cases; Kenya halts US quarantine facility

May 29, 2026

The rare Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has surpassed 1,000 cases, prompting the US to shift policy and provide experimental MBP134 antibody doses for local clinical trials. Meanwhile, Kenya has halted construction on a controversial US-run quarantine facility at Laikipia airbase following intense public protests and a court order finding Health Minister Aden Duale in contempt. Health workers face severe conflict-zone challenges as they prepare to launch therapeutic trials.

Congo Bundibugyo outbreak scale

▪The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has surpassed 1,000 confirmed cases, with the Ministry of Health reporting 1,003 cumulative confirmed cases and 254 deaths as of June 21, 2026.
▪The World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on May 17, 2026.
▪The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain, which has no FDA-approved vaccines or specific antiviral treatments.

US experimental treatment provision

▪The United States government has provided stockpiled doses of Mapp Biopharmaceutical's experimental antibody drug MBP134 for clinical trials and compassionate use in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
▪The provision of MBP134 marks a shift from the previous United States position of making the experimental drug available only to high-risk Americans exposed to the virus.

Clinical trial implementation plans

▪Clinical trials of Mapp Biopharmaceutical's MBP134, both alone and alongside Gilead Sciences' antiviral remdesivir, are scheduled to begin in the outbreak region in the coming weeks.
▪Gilead Sciences' antiviral obeldesivir is scheduled to be tested as a potential preventive option against the Bundibugyo Ebola strain starting in June 2026.

Vaccine development timeline

▪The World Health Organization stated that manufacturing and safety testing must occur before vaccine candidates can be deployed in active outbreak hot spots in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
▪Phase 1 trials for Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine candidates, including those developed by Oxford and the Serum Institute of India, and Moderna, could begin as early as July 2026.

US aid policy controversy

▪Kenyan Health Minister Aden Duale ordered the immediate cessation of construction on a United States-run Ebola quarantine facility at Laikipia airbase following a court contempt ruling.
▪The United States government has pledged a $13.5 million Ebola preparedness contribution to Kenya, which critics argue is an attempt to whitewash the health risks of importing potential carriers.
▪Three people have been killed in protests in Kenya opposing the construction of the 50-bed United States-run Ebola quarantine facility in Nanyuki.

Conflict zone trial challenges

▪The World Health Organization emphasized the priority of ensuring that local patients in affected countries will have access to the therapeutic drugs if trials prove they are safe and effective.
▪Running clinical trials in the outbreak region is complicated by active conflict, widespread mistrust, attacks on health workers, and disrupted supply chains.