M23 Confirms 1 Ebola Case in South Kivu as Congo Outbreak Tops 600 Suspected Infections
Updated
Updated · DW (English) · May 22
M23 Confirms 1 Ebola Case in South Kivu as Congo Outbreak Tops 600 Suspected Infections
11 articles · Updated · DW (English) · May 22
A new Ebola infection was confirmed near Bukavu in rebel-held South Kivu, several hundred kilometers south of the outbreak’s Ituri epicenter; the 28-year-old patient had traveled from Kisangani and later died.
Another suspected case has been isolated in the region, underscoring warnings that the Bundibugyo-strain outbreak is spreading beyond known hotspots and that reported infections capture only a fraction of the true toll.
About 600 suspected cases and an estimated 130 deaths have been recorded so far, prompting the WHO on May 15 to declare Congo’s 17th Ebola outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
Response efforts face major constraints: no approved vaccine exists for the Bundibugyo strain, access to M23-held areas is limited by violence, and donor aid cuts are slowing assistance.
The outbreak is already disrupting travel and diplomacy, with Uganda suspending passenger transport to Congo for four weeks and India postponing its May 28-31 summit with the African Union.
In a region with 120 armed groups, is the Ebola virus or human conflict the greater threat?
As nations defy WHO advice by closing borders, are they preventing a pandemic or causing more harm?
With no licensed vaccine, how can science outpace the spread of this rare and deadly Ebola strain?
2026 Bundibugyo Ebola Outbreak in DRC and Uganda: Over 80 Dead, Regional Spread Risk, and Global Response Challenges
Overview
As of May 22, 2026, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda are facing a major Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus. This is the 17th Ebola outbreak in the DRC since 1976. The World Health Organization has declared it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The situation is especially severe in Ituri and North Kivu provinces, where ongoing violence and insecurity, including control of Goma by the M23 militia, make it hard for health workers to reach people in need. These challenges are making the response to the outbreak much more difficult.