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2w ago

Ebola Outbreak in Eastern Congo Surges Toward 600 Cases and Spreads to Uganda

Rapid case rises, cross‑border transmission to Uganda and no licensed vaccines for the Bundibugyo strain raise the risk of wider regional spread.

Red Cross workers walk in a formation as they disinfect Rwampara general hospital before handling the body of a person who died of Ebola, as aid agencies intensify efforts to contain a new Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain, in Rwampara outside Bunia, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 21, 2026. REUTERS/Gradel Muyisa Mumbere/File Photo
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Kenya has never recorded a case of Ebola, and many oppose the idea of bringing potential carriers of the highly contagious disease into the country
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Overview

  • Health authorities report several hundred confirmed infections and more than 100 deaths, with recent national statements putting the total near 598 confirmed cases and 115 deaths.
  • The World Health Organization assesses the outbreak risk as very high for the Democratic Republic of Congo and high for Uganda and neighbouring land‑border countries.
  • The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo Ebola virus, for which no approved vaccines or strain‑specific treatments exist, forcing reliance on experimental countermeasures and accelerated research calls.
  • Response efforts are scaling up under a joint WHO and Africa CDC $518 million six‑month plan, but are hampered by armed conflict, attacks on health teams, community mistrust, lab reagent shortages and backlogged tests.
  • U.S. health officials have issued 21‑day entry restrictions for recent travellers from affected countries and are urging other governments to adopt similar measures ahead of large international travel events, complicating movement and humanitarian logistics.