DR Congo: ACAPS Briefing Note - DRC: Ebola outbreak (22 May 2026)

Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo Source: ACAPS Please refer to the attached file. On 15 May 2026, authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) declared an Ebola outbreak after cases were confirmed in Ituri and North Kivu provinces, with further cases later confirmed in South Kivu (WHO 16/05/2026 and 18/05/2026). By 20 May, national authorities and media sources had reported 60 confirmed cases, over 670 suspected, 105 probable cases, and 160 deaths linked to the Bundibugyo strain, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or therapeutics (IMC 22/05/2026; WHO accessed 21/05/2026; AJ 20/05/2026; The Guardian 20/05/2026; BBC 21/05/2026). Confirmed figures remain lower because of limited testing capacity. By 19 May, one person had also died in Kampala in neighbouring Uganda and another case had been confirmed (Reuters 19/05/2026; BBC 19/05/2026). By 22 May, Ituri was the most affected area in eastern DRC, with cases reported in the towns of Bambu, Bunia, Fataki, Logo, Mangala, Mongwalu, Nizi, Nyankunde, and Rwampara. Bunia functions as a major commercial and transport hub linking Ituri with North Kivu, other eastern provinces, and Uganda, increasing the risk of onward transmission through mobility corridors (WHO 18/05/2026; Logistics Cluster 21/05/2026). These are densely populated mining communities with transitory populations, increasing the risk of spread. By 18 May, cases had also been confirmed in Butembo and Goma cities; and Katwa commune in North Kivu (WHO 18/05/2026; Health Cluster 18/05/2026; IMC 16/05/2026). By 21 May, one case had been confirmed in the MitiMurhesa health zone of Kabare territory, South Kivu (Actualite 21/05/2026). The convergence of late case identification, insufficient contact tracing capacity, population mobility, ...

Original source: Relief Web