Ebola Virus Spreads in DRC, Uganda, 344 Cases Confirmed, 64 Fatalities Recorded

The Ebola virus infection outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has continued to escalate with 344 Confirmed cases as at June 2, 2026 by the country’s ministry of health.

Neighbouring Uganda has also confirmed 15 cases and one death, with rising fear of more unreported cases.

Details indicate that there have been 60 confirmed related deaths, and 116 suspected cases under investigation. According to reports, 23 new confirmed cases were reported since the previous day’s update, reporting on cases available as of 31 May. Ituri is the most affected province, with 322 confirmed cases from 16 health zones; 19 confirmed cases have been reported from seven health zones in North Kivu and three cases from one health zone in South Kivu. Data are continuously reviewed and harmonised as samples from suspected cases go through the process of laboratory confirmation.
Since the new outbreak was reported on May 15, the World Health Organization (WHO) has raised the alarm and warned health systems across the globe to take measures to prevent spread of the virus.

 

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus concluded his visit to Congo on Monday after meeting President Felix Tshisekedi to discuss the response to the Bundibugyo-strain Ebola outbreak.
Authorities and partners have opened a new 60-bed treatment centre in Bunia and are conducting vaccine trials.

According to DRC government’s spokesperson,  Patrick Muyaya said that Bunia Airport  which was previously closed to commercial flight operations has now been reopened on Monday to ease the delivery of response support, after monitoring devices were installed at both departure and arrival points.

 

On April 24, the first suspected case of the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola was detected in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). On May 17, the World Health Organisation declared the outbreak a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern.”

The current Ebola outbreak is the third-largest in world history, with 906 suspected cases and 223 deaths in the DRC alone as of 27 May.

There fear that the latest outbreak may have spread to other continents, especially as the world converge in Mexico, US and Canada.

Health authorities are now investigating a suspected case in Italy, and two possible cases in Brazil. All three are believed to be travellers returning from either the DRC or Uganda. One American man who tested positive for Ebola is currently being treated in Germany.

As concerns grow, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations has committed more than A$86 million in funding to fast-track the development of three potential vaccines, targeting the Bundibugyo strain.

 

Ebola is a rare but potentially fatal virus that mainly spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids – such as blood, faeces and vomit – of an infected person.

Early symptoms of Ebola include sore throat, headaches, fever, fatigue and body pain. Severe Ebola cases can cause skin rashes, shortness of breath, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and seizures.
Ebola was first identified in humans in 1976. Since then, there have been more than 40 outbreaks around the world, with the majority occurring in African countries.

The current outbreak is the third ever to be caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain. The majority of past outbreaks were driven by the more deadly Zaire strain, which kills up to 90% of people compared to up to 34% for Bundibugyo.

 

The factors driving this latest outbreak also contributed to the devastating West African outbreak of 2014-16, where more than 11,000 people died.
In both outbreaks, the virus had been circulating for months before an outbreak was declared, and initial cases had non-specific symptoms.
Both outbreaks also rapidly spread in urban areas. Transmission in health-care settings is another common factor.

Political instability and social unrest also contributed to both outbreaks. Most recently in the DRC, crowds have set fire to hospital tents, prompting some patients to flee isolation wards.
And certain cultural practices – including traditional burial rituals that often involve handling dead bodies – may have accelerated the spread of both outbreaks.

 

Similar to the West African outbreak, this latest Ebola outbreak has spread to other continents through travel.

Nine cases and one death have already been reported in Uganda, which shares a border with the DRC.
An American man who tested positive for Ebola while working in the DRC, is in a stable condition after being treated in Germany.

In Italy, authorities are monitoring a traveller who recently returned from the DRC to the city of Cagliari.
According to some reports, Brazilian authorities are investigating two suspected Ebola cases. They are believed to be two travellers, one who returned from the DRC to São Paulo and the other from Uganda to Rio de Janeiro.
Importantly, both suspected cases have been diagnosed with other illnesses. The São Paulo patient presented with fever and was later diagnosed with severe meningitis. The Rio de Janeiro patient tested positive for malaria after developing a cough, chills and diarrhoea, but has since tested negative for Ebola.

So for now, no Ebola cases have been confirmed in Brazil. But these suspected cases have prompted the country to activate its Ebola safety protocols, including patient isolation, laboratory testing, and epidemiological investigations.
Meanwhile, several countries have imposed travel restrictions to prevent Ebola from reaching their shores.

Both the United States and Canada are temporarily restricting entry for travellers from the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan. The US and other countries such as India and Mexico are also strengthening public health screening and disease monitoring measures, particularly at airports. Some countries have mandated a 21-day quarantine period for their citizens returning from the DRC