IRC Warns 900-Case Ebola Outbreak Could Turn Deadliest on Record
Updated
Updated · abcnews.com · May 26
IRC Warns 900-Case Ebola Outbreak Could Turn Deadliest on Record
9 articles · Updated · abcnews.com · May 26
More than 900 suspected Ebola cases and 223 suspected deaths have been reported across the DRC and Uganda, with the IRC saying the outbreak is now spreading faster than responders can contain it.
Goma and Kampala are now among the affected hubs, marking a shift from remote areas of eastern Congo and raising fears of wider regional transmission through major transport links.
The IRC said conflict, displacement and international aid cuts have weakened health systems, while the Bundibugyo strain has no approved vaccine or treatment and has posted 30% to 50% fatality rates in past outbreaks.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the outbreak will worsen before improving, after the agency last week declared it a public health emergency of international concern.
The IRC is urging emergency funding, a U.N. coordinator and faster medical imports as countries including the U.S., U.K., India and Australia tighten travel restrictions and screening.
As global health funding is cut, are we entering a new era of uncontrollable deadly epidemics?
If travel bans are ineffective against Ebola, why do powerful nations continue to implement them during outbreaks?
With no vaccine for this Ebola strain, can community trust become a more powerful tool than medical technology?
135 Cases, 51 Deaths: Bundibugyo Ebola Outbreak Sparks International Emergency Amid Vaccine Shortage in East Africa
Overview
The Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak rapidly escalated in late May 2026, with confirmed cases rising from 128 to 135 and deaths increasing to 51, resulting in a high fatality rate of 37.8%. The crisis, which began resurging earlier in 2026, has spread across Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, highlighting persistent cross-border transmission. Uganda remains the epicenter, but significant spillover into the DRC complicates containment. The outbreak’s swift progression and expansion into new areas underscore the urgent need for coordinated action to control the spread and protect public health in the region.