Addis Ababa, May 20, 2026 (FMC) – The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is intensifying efforts to contain a fresh Ebola outbreak in the country’s eastern Ituri province after the death toll linked to the epidemic rose to 136 amid growing regional concern over the spread of the virus.
DRC Health Minister Roger Kamba said 543 suspected cases have so far been recorded, including 32 laboratory-confirmed infections, following the official declaration of the outbreak on May 15.
Authorities said investigations are ongoing to determine how many of the deaths were directly caused by Ebola, while health experts have yet to identify the index case behind the outbreak.
According to Congolese health officials, genome sequencing indicates the virus likely originated from a new forest-based transmission rather than the resurgence of an older infection chain.
The outbreak has been linked to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus, a relatively rare variant first identified in Uganda in 2007 before later emerging in the DRC in 2012.
Officials have also raised concerns over the absence of a specific vaccine and treatment for the strain, although the DRC says its extensive experience in managing previous Ebola outbreaks will support response efforts focused on rapid detection, patient isolation, protection of health workers, and safe burial procedures.
The World Health Organization and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention are currently reviewing several vaccine candidates, including the Ervebo vaccine, which could potentially provide limited cross-protection against the Bundibugyo strain.
The outbreak is unfolding in a fragile humanitarian and security environment already affected by armed conflict, displacement, and weak healthcare infrastructure in eastern DRC.
Confirmed cases have also been reported in Goma and Butembo in North Kivu province, raising fears of wider regional transmission. Ugandan authorities have already confirmed imported Ebola cases linked to the outbreak, including one death in Kampala.
Neighboring countries including Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania have strengthened border screening, surveillance, and emergency preparedness measures in response to the escalating situation.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently declared the outbreak in the DRC and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, citing concerns over the scale and speed of the epidemic. Africa CDC has also classified the outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security to strengthen regional coordination and accelerate resource mobilization.
Congolese authorities say emergency medical supplies are being dispatched to affected areas as additional treatment centers and laboratory networks are expanded to support the national response, according to Xinhua News Agency.