On May 5, 2026, a cluster of severe illness in the Ituri Province in the northeastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo was reported to the World Health Organization. The outbreak has been linked to Bundibugyo virus, one of the four types of orthoebolaviruses that cause Ebola disease in people. There are no approved vaccines or treatments for Bundibugyo virus. Death rates in previous outbreaks of Bundibugyo virus have ranged from 30% to 50%.
As of May 19, the outbreak had caused more than 500 suspected cases, including over 130 deaths, in Congo and neighboring Uganda, according to WHO. These numbers are likely to change as the outbreak evolves.
WHO declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on May 17. The outbreak doesn’t meet the criteria of a pandemic emergency like COVID-19, according to WHO, which advised against the closure of international borders. (See IDSA’s statement on the May 18 order from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention banning some people from entering the United States from Congo, South Sudan and Uganda.)
To date, no cases of Ebola disease have been confirmed in the United States from the outbreak. The overall risk to the American public remains low, according to CDC. On May 18, CDC confirmed one case of Ebola in an American who was exposed as part of their work in Congo and was being moved to Germany for treatment. Six additional Americans who are high-risk contacts were also being transported to Germany or the Czech Republic for monitoring.
