On 2 September 2026, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the Bundibugyo Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo had passed 6,000 reported cases and reached 3,000 deaths.
WHO called it the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record and the fastest-moving it has seen. The DRC’s National Institute of Public Health listed 6,186 confirmed cases and 3,007 deaths as of 31 August. Later partner updates put the count near 6,250 cases and 3,039 deaths.
What WHO reported
The outbreak was confirmed in May 2026. It now covers 60 health zones in six of the DRC’s 26 provinces: Ituri, North Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo, South Kivu, and Bas-Uélé.
Ituri remains the epicentre. Tedros said it accounts for about 85% of cases and 88% of deaths.
The case-fatality ratio is about 48–49%. WHO says most deaths are still happening in communities, not in treatment centres. Many people who die were not on a known contact list. That means some transmission chains have not been found.
The outbreak remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, after an International Health Regulations Emergency Committee meeting on 18 August.
Why this virus is harder to fight
The cause is Bundibugyo virus, not the Zaire species behind most past Ebola outbreaks. There is no licensed vaccine and no specific approved treatment for Bundibugyo virus disease.
WHO published emergency guidance on using Ervebo, the licensed Zaire Ebola vaccine, during Bundibugyo outbreaks. Officials say it is not known whether Ervebo protects people against Bundibugyo. Vaccination of some health workers with Ervebo has started in places including Kisangani, as part of gathering evidence.
Two new Bundibugyo vaccines are in safety trials in the United Kingdom and Canada. WHO said it is working with partners to move all three vaccine candidates into efficacy trials in the DRC in October or November.
A treatment trial called PARTNERS has enrolled more than 300 patients. Another study is testing the antiviral obeldesivir among high-risk contacts, to see whether it can prevent illness after exposure.
What WHO says it has scaled up
Tedros said WHO has shipped more than 330 tonnes of supplies and deployed more than 300 experts. Laboratory capacity has grown from one national reference lab to a network of 24 labs, with testing up to 3,000 tests a day.
Treatment and isolation capacity is more than 1,300 beds across 49 facilities. WHO plans to raise that to 3,000 beds in the next three months.
Last week, WHO confirmed the related outbreak in Uganda as over, after 42 days without a new confirmed case.
Risk and travel
WHO assesses the risk inside the DRC as very high, the risk for neighbouring countries as high, and the risk for the rest of Africa and the world as low. It advises against travel or trade bans.
The government-led plan for the next six months asks for US$1.3 billion. WHO asked donors to speed up funding.
A separate WHO announcement this week created a longer-term global mpox vaccine stockpile. That is a different virus and a different programme.
This is an original Utila summary of WHO statements and public health reports. It is not medical advice and not a reprint.
Key Takeaways
- WHO said the DRC Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak passed 6,000 cases and 3,000 deaths in early September 2026.
- It is the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record and the fastest WHO has recorded.
- There is no licensed vaccine for Bundibugyo. Efficacy trials are planned for October or November.
- The event remains a PHEIC. WHO does not recommend travel or trade restrictions.
- Uganda’s related outbreak has been declared over.
