Ebola Outbreak 2026: WHO Emergency, 836 Cases in DRC & Uganda — No Vaccine
10 Active OutbreaksA major Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo strain is underway in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda. WHO declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on May 17, 2026. The Bundibugyo strain has no approved vaccine and no specific treatment, making this one of the most dangerous active outbreaks in years.
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What is Ebola?
Ebola virus disease (EVD) is caused by several strains of the Ebola virus. The current 2026 outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain — distinct from the Zaire strain that ERVEBO vaccine protects against, meaning there is NO approved vaccine for this outbreak. As of May 2026, 836 suspected cases and 186 deaths have been reported across 11 health zones in DRC's Ituri and Nord-Kivu provinces, with cases crossing into Uganda (Kampala). WHO has declared this a PHEIC — the highest global health alarm — and the CDC has issued entry restrictions for travelers from affected countries.
Symptoms
- Sudden fever and severe fatigue
- Muscle and joint pain
- Severe headache
- Sore throat
- Vomiting and diarrhea
- Stomach pain
- Unexplained bleeding or bruising
- Rash
Transmission
Direct contact with blood or body fluids of infected people/animals; contaminated objects; infected bushmeat. Not airborne. Only contagious when symptomatic.
Contagious Period: From symptom onset until virus is no longer in blood/body fluids; can persist in semen up to 12 months
Prevention
- ERVEBO vaccine for outbreak response and high-risk individuals
- Avoid contact with blood and body fluids
- Don't handle items touched by infected person
- Avoid funeral/burial rituals involving contact with deceased
- Avoid bushmeat in outbreak areas
- Healthcare workers: strict PPE and infection control
- Isolate suspected/confirmed cases
- Contact tracing and monitoring
- Safe burial practices
Active Outbreaks & Recent Cases
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Data sources: BEACON, ProMED, WHO, CDC, and 50+ national health agencies
✓ Live data updated in real-time from global health sources
Ebola Outbreak Could Become Worst on Record, Africa C.D.C. Chief Warns
Health workers have warned that the outbreak, already one of the worst in decades, could take as long as a year to contain if infection rates do not flatten.
Health officials on Tuesday warned that the Ebola outbreak in East Africa could significantly worsen, saying that the virus could last as long as a year and infect thousands of people if current transmission rates go on unabated.
The outbreak is already one of the largest on record, and has spread most in the Democratic Republic of Congo,
📰 192 news sources reporting on this story.
WHO issues comprehensive guidelines on filovirus disease, including Ebola and Marburg disease
As the Democratic Republic of the Congo is battling an Ebola disease outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) has released its first comprehensive guidelines for the clinical management of filovirus disease which include all types of Ebola and Marburg viruses. The new guidelines highlight the importance of early supportive care to improve patient survival and health outcomes, outlining 16 evidence-based recommendations.
Ebola and Marburg diseases are serious a
📰 20 news sources reporting on this story.
Ebola scare in Kerala: Woman who travelled from South Sudan hospitalised with symptoms
A 52-year-old woman from Kerala, who recently travelled from South Sudan, has been admitted to the Medical College Hospital in Kottayam with suspected symptoms of Ebola.
Officials at the medical college said the patient displayed symptoms of Ebola and had a travel history that included Sudan. "Samples have been collected and dispatched for laboratory investigation. We are awaiting the test reports for final confirmation," an official said.
The woman, who was first treated at a private hospital
📰 11 news sources reporting on this story.
US deploys troops to Kenya to support Ebola isolation facility
U.S. troops have deployed to an air base in Kenya to help with the construction and set up of a planned Ebola quarantine facility meant to house Americans. That planned site has sparked ongoing protests in Kenya, with multiple people killed by police.
Stars & Stripes first reported on the deployment. It is not clear how many troops were sent or what units they were drawn from.
An American official confirmed the deployment, saying in a statement to Task & Purpose that U.S. Africa Command deploye
📰 11 news sources reporting on this story.
Ebola outbreak still spreading in Congo: "We are missing cases" - AOL
Kampala, Uganda -- The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring Uganda is still spreading one month after the outbreak was declared. The total number of confirmed cases surged between Monday and Tuesday to over 800, an increase of about 300 since last week.
The United Nations' World Health Organization has warned that the virus is still "increasing" in its "geographic spread" in Congo, and experts say it's a race against time to stop it from mushrooming into a wider hea
📰 357 news sources reporting on this story.
Ebola Cases Top 800 in Congo as Aid Groups Warn Outbreak May Be Larger Than Reported
Ebola treatment centers in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are becoming overwhelmed as confirmed cases surge past 800 and health workers struggle to track transmission chains, aid groups warned ahead of an emergency summit of African leaders.
A month after the outbreak was declared, surveillance, testing and contact tracing are struggling to keep pace with transmission in eastern Congo, where conflict and displacement have left almost 1 million people uprooted, health officials and aid grou
📰 21 news sources reporting on this story.
Red Cross Says Congo Ebola Epidemic Yet to Peak, May Last a Year
NAIROBI, June 16 (Reuters) - A Red Cross official said on Tuesday that the Ebola epidemic in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo had not yet peaked, and could last for a year.
Over 800 cases of the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no proven treatment or vaccine, have been reported in Congo, 192 of them fatal. The disease, transmitted through body fluids even after death, is spreading fast across three provinces, government data shows.
"It's very difficult to know e
📰 12 news sources reporting on this story.
Israel reverses course on Ebola travel ban, removes Kenya, Rwanda
Israel has removed Kenya and Rwanda from a list of countries under temporary Ebola-related travel restrictions.
The move came hours after Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'Oei publicly condemned the restrictions, warning they risked damaging bilateral ties between the two countries.
The Israeli Embassy in Nairobi announced the decision on Monday, June 15, saying the country's Ministry of Health had lifted the restrictions on both nations.
"We are pleased to announce that Israel's
📰 16 news sources reporting on this story.
Congo says 782 Ebola cases confirmed, two new health zones affected
Dz'na Lipe Jean Marie, secretary of the displacement camp, speaks during an Ebola awareness session as humanitarian agencies intensify efforts to contain a new Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain, at Kpangba displacement camp where Ebola cases were observed, Djugu territory in Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, June 13, 2026. REUTERS/Gradel Muyisa Mumbere
KINSHASA - The number of confirmed Ebola cases in Democratic Republic of Congo has increased to 782 after 72 new cases w
Ebola crisis deepens in Congo as angry locals drive health workers away
Health workers are battling a critical Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, facing severe resistance from locals in a displacement camp where the virus has claimed its first victims.
In Kpangba, a camp housing around 30,000 people displaced by inter-ethnic violence, two deaths from Ebola two weeks ago prompted a rapid response to trace contacts and prevent further spread.
However, these efforts were immediately thwarted. Teams from the provincial health ministry, the World Health
📰 17 news sources reporting on this story.
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Disease information on Virus Watcher is reviewed by our Chief Epidemiologist, a former CDC lead analyst for FluSight forecasting. Outbreak data is aggregated from verified sources including BEACON, ProMED, WHO, CDC, and 50+ national health agencies. This information is for educational purposes and should not replace professional medical advice.
Last reviewed: 2026-06-19
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