Five Bunia Ebola Patients Recover as 43 Confirmed Deaths Hit Congo and Uganda
Updated
Updated · NBC News · May 31
Five Bunia Ebola Patients Recover as 43 Confirmed Deaths Hit Congo and Uganda
18 articles · Updated · NBC News · May 31
Five Ebola patients in Bunia recovered, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, using the new treatment center’s opening to stress that people can survive the Bundibugyo strain.
Forty-three confirmed deaths and 272 confirmed cases have been recorded across Congo and Uganda, while 349 deaths are suspected and more than 1,100 suspected cases remain under investigation.
Bunia, the outbreak’s epicenter in Congo’s Ituri province, is struggling to keep up as testing gaps slow contact tracing and the virus spreads faster than responders can contain it, Doctors Without Borders said.
Tedros urged communities to avoid unsafe burials and asked countries to reconsider travel bans and border closures, saying they discourage transparency as Congo confronts its 17th Ebola outbreak.
With trust broken and violence rising, can medical aid alone stop this Ebola outbreak?
Can scientists fast-track a new vaccine before this rare Ebola strain spreads further globally?
Are travel bans a vital shield against Ebola or a critical barrier to life-saving aid?
Over 1,000 Bundibugyo Ebola Cases in DRC and Uganda: International Alarm and Response Amid Conflict and Health System Strain
Overview
As of May 29, 2026, the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak has rapidly worsened, with suspected cases surpassing 1,000 and triggering a strong international response. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, following international health regulations and consultations with affected countries. While the outbreak is severe, it does not meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control considers the risk to EU/EEA residents very low, but global health authorities remain on high alert and are closely monitoring the situation.