OUTBREAK WATCH: Ebola (Bundibugyo virus) — DRC & Uganda Situation as of 18 May 2026 | Sources: WHO, Africa CDC, US CDC Background On 5 May 2026, WHO received an alert about an unusually high-mortality cluster of unknown illness in Mongbwalu Health Zone, Ituri Province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) — a remote mining region characterised by intense population movement and significant insecurity. The first known suspected case, a health worker, had developed fever, haemorrhage, vomiting, and malaise on 24 April 2026 before dying at a medical centre in Bunia. Confirmation and escalation 13 May: WHO and DRC rapid-response teams investigated Mongbwalu and Rwampara health zones; samples were collected and sent for sequencing. 14 May: Africa CDC convened an urgent high-level coordination meeting, noting that 13 of 20 samples tested positive for a non-Zaire ebolavirus; sequencing confirmed Bundibugyo virus (BDBV) within 24 hours. 15 May: DRC Ministry of Health officially declared the...
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