WHO declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 17 May 2026 for the third recognised Bundibugyo virus outbreak. Cases are centred in Ituri Province (DRC) with confirmed cross-border spread to Kampala, Uganda.
Last updated
What we know
●Strain. Lab-confirmed Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV). This is the third recognised BDBV outbreak; prior ones were Uganda 2007–2008 (149 cases, 37 deaths) and DRC 2012 Orientale Province (57 cases, 29 deaths).
●Geography. Reported cases concentrated in Ituri Province (Bunia, Rwampara, Mongbwalu health zones). Cross-border traveler-linked cases confirmed in Kampala, Uganda - including at least one healthcare worker death.
●Counts. 336 reported cases and 87 reported deaths as of 2026-05-17, per WHO and Africa CDC. The apparent CFR of 25.9% is preliminary; many suspected cases remain awaiting laboratory confirmation.
●WHO classification. PHEIC declared 17 May 2026 - the IHR Emergency Committee cited urban spread, healthcare-worker infections, and the lack of approved countermeasures for this strain.
●Countermeasures. No approved vaccine or therapeutic targets Bundibugyo virus. All approved products (Ervebo, Zabdeno + Mvabea, Inmazeb, Ebanga) cover Zaire ebolavirus only. Investigational candidates and supportive care define the response.
Case trajectory
Cumulative cases and deaths, 2026 Bundibugyo PHEIC
Cases
Deaths
Snapshots are taken from WHO Disease Outbreak News and AFRO situation
updates; the pre-PHEIC points are reconstructed from contemporaneous
press reporting and may be revised. Every revision is logged in
/changes.
Where the cases are
Click any point on the map below for case detail. The active outbreak
pulses in ochre; historical outbreaks are shown for context.
Ring vaccination - the cornerstone of the 2018–2020 Kivu response - depended on Ervebo and the Zaire strain. Neither product is licensed for Bundibugyo. Any rapid vaccination protocol here would necessarily be investigational, run under WHO R&D Blueprint mechanisms.
Urban spread
Confirmed cases in Kampala raise the operational stakes considerably. The 2014–2016 West Africa outbreak demonstrated how urban contact-tracing failure can convert a rural cluster into a regional crisis.
Healthcare-worker losses
Reported HCW infections in both Ituri and Kampala suggest nosocomial transmission. Each infected clinician is both a tragedy and an operational loss to a system that needs every trained responder.
Historical Bundibugyo context
Year
Location
Cases
Deaths
CFR
2007–2008
Bundibugyo District, Uganda
149
37
~25%
2012
Orientale Province, DRC
57
29
~51%
2026 (active)
Ituri + Kampala
336
87
25.9%
Bundibugyo virus has historically had the lowest CFR among pathogenic ebolaviruses. The 2026 outbreak's preliminary CFR sits between the two prior outbreaks; expect revision as suspected cases resolve.
If you are in or travelling to DRC or Uganda
Avoid contact with sick people exhibiting fever and bleeding symptoms, and with the deceased.
Avoid contact with bats, monkeys, and the carcasses of any wild animals.
If you develop fever within 21 days of being in or near Ituri Province, isolate and call ahead before going to a clinic. Mention possible Ebola exposure so triage can use isolation procedures.
For Uganda residents in Kampala: follow Ministry of Health guidance on healthcare access. Healthcare workers should review IPC protocols.
For travellers: routine tourist activity in low-risk areas is not the same risk profile as healthcare work or community contact in Ituri.
This page is editorial reference, not medical advice. If you may have been exposed to Ebola, contact your local public health authority before going to a clinic. In Germany dial 112; in the UK dial 111; in the US dial your state health department.
