Congo Ebola Outbreak Reaches 24th Health Zone as Contact Tracing Falls Below 40%
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 3
Congo Ebola Outbreak Reaches 24th Health Zone as Contact Tracing Falls Below 40%
1 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 3
Mambasa became the 24th affected health zone in Congo's Ebola outbreak, extending the spread more than 100 miles southwest of Mongbwalu, the mining town seen as the epidemic's origin.
39.3% of identified contacts in Ituri province were under active monitoring, the National Institute of Public Health said Tuesday, signaling a sharp weakening in the tracing needed to contain transmission.
Ituri remains the outbreak's center, accounting for almost 94% of confirmed infections, so the drop in follow-up there raises the risk of further spread beyond the hardest-hit province.
This Ebola strain has no vaccine. With contact tracing collapsing, is a wider international crisis now inevitable?
As conflict cripples Congo's Ebola response, how can a global pandemic be averted with no approved treatment?
Why are standard Ebola tests useless against the deadly virus spreading across Central Africa?
DRC’s Bundibugyo Ebola Crisis: 200+ Deaths, No Vaccine, and Rising Regional Instability (June 2026)
Overview
As of June 2, 2026, the Democratic Republic of Congo faces a rapidly escalating Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus, with Bunia in Ituri province as the epicenter. The virus has spread to North Kivu and South Kivu, prompting International Medical Corps to build treatment centers and provide hygiene supplies across these regions. The risk of cross-border transmission is high, leading to urgent calls for stronger international cooperation. Efforts to contain the outbreak are challenged by regional insecurity, limited vaccine options, and the need for coordinated action to prevent further spread and humanitarian impact.