Ebola Situation Watch (2026) — Bundibugyo strain
Active Ebola virus disease outbreak caused by Bundibugyo ebolavirus across the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Ituri province) and Uganda — PHEIC declared by WHO on 18 May 2026. Per WHO Situation Report dated 18 May 2026: 528 reported cases across both countries (2 lab-confirmed in Uganda, 526 under investigation), 132 deaths, 668 contacts identified (541 in DRC, 127 in Uganda). The DRC has opened three Ebola treatment centers in Ituri; the US State Department issued a Level 4 'Do Not Travel' advisory for DRC; the US CDC has restricted entry from affected countries. South Sudan, South Africa and Germany are conducting contact tracing on returning travelers. No vaccine or monoclonal-antibody therapy is currently approved for the Bundibugyo strain. OutbreakWatch syncs counts every 2h via authoritative-source extraction (WHO, PAHO, Africa CDC, CDC, ECDC, ProMED, plus Reuters, AP, BBC, NYT, Washington Post, ANSA, Le Figaro, Le Monde, Süddeutsche, Tagesschau, Bloomberg, STAT News).
Geographic spread
Timeline
Most recent first. Curated milestones plus live news from around 50 sources, deduplicated.
- May 19, 2026Death toll updated to 131 (Adnkronos, latest wire)
Italian newswire Adnkronos reports the DRC Ebola death toll has risen to 131 (+11). AP Health corroborates with 'nearly 120'; Politico reports 'more than 110'. The figure aligns with Africa CDC and CDC Newsroom briefings of 19 May. Tier-2 source whitelist expanded to include Adnkronos, Bloomberg, FT, WSJ, Politico, Time, Newsweek, Sky News, Deutsche Welle, NZZ, France 24, France Info, Le Temps and Volkskrant for broader news coverage.
Source → - May 19, 2026Death toll rises to 120; South Sudan reports cross-border cases
Africa CDC, AP Health, and the New York Times report the DRC Ebola death toll has risen to at least 120 (+20 from previous estimate). South Sudan confirms cross-border spread and is added to the affected-country list. South Africa and Germany have initiated contact tracing for returning travelers. News24 SA and Daily Maverick provide regional corroboration.
Source → - May 18, 2026WHO declares Ebola outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)
The World Health Organization declares the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda a global health emergency. PAHO independently confirms the strain is Bundibugyo ebolavirus — no vaccine or monoclonal antibody therapy is currently approved for this strain. Coverage by NYT, Washington Post, Bloomberg, Sole24Ore, Le Figaro and Euronews.
Source → - May 18, 2026Death toll rises to at least 100 in the DRC (ANSA)
Italian newswire ANSA reports that the death toll in the DRC Ebola epidemic has risen to at least 100. Healio and Africa CDC corroborate with 'dozens dead'. WHO aid has arrived in DRC; Médecins Sans Frontières reports difficulties isolating contacts (Sole24Ore).
Source → - May 18, 2026US CDC bans entry for travelers from Ebola-affected countries
STAT News reports that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has banned entry to the United States for travelers originating from Ebola-affected countries. The U.S. has also implemented screening at airports and other ports of entry; CDC is aiding withdrawal of affected Americans (Reuters Health, Newsweek).
Source → - May 18, 2026DRC opens 3 Ebola treatment centers in Ituri province
The Democratic Republic of the Congo opens three dedicated treatment centers in Ituri province as the Bundibugyo strain continues to spread regionally. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa issues a statement on the cross-border risk to Uganda.
Source → - May 17, 2026OutbreakWatch begins Ebola coverage
Multi-virus infrastructure activated (news fetcher, market fetcher, KPI sync). Coverage begins as WHO, Africa CDC, and CDC reporting is ingested via cron. Specific case and death counts refine every six hours via authoritative-source extraction.
Source → - May 15, 2026Google Trends signal — ebola search interest surges
Worldwide search interest for 'ebola' rises sharply (~10x baseline) over a 48-hour window. Top regions by interest: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Tanzania, United States, Nigeria. Polymarket 'Ebola pandemic in 2026' market sees $34k of 24-hour volume on a $40k total open interest.
Source →
Key facts
- Active outbreak strain is Bundibugyo ebolavirus — confirmed by PAHO. There is no WHO-approved vaccine or monoclonal antibody therapy for this strain (Ervebo and the mAb therapies cover Zaire ebolavirus only).
- WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on 18 May 2026.
- Adnkronos (19 May), AP Health, and Politico report a DRC Ebola death toll of 131 (+31 from prior estimate of 100). Africa CDC, CDC Newsroom and PAHO News confirm the outbreak severity in press briefings. South Sudan has confirmed cross-border spread; South Africa and Germany have initiated contact tracing. Precise confirmed-case count pending the next WHO Disease Outbreak News bulletin.
- DRC has opened three Ebola treatment centers in Ituri province.
- The United States has implemented Ebola screening for travelers at airports and other ports of entry.
- Ebola virus disease has historical case fatality rates of 25-90% depending on strain — Bundibugyo historically around 25-40%.
- Ebola is NOT airborne — transmission requires direct contact with body fluids or contaminated surfaces.
- Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are the suspected natural reservoir.
- Incubation period is 2-21 days; people are not contagious until they develop symptoms.