DRC Ebola Outbreak Kills 136 in 676 Cases as Rare Bundibugyo Strain Spreads
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 17
DRC Ebola Outbreak Kills 136 in 676 Cases as Rare Bundibugyo Strain Spreads
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 17
Summary
676 confirmed Ebola cases and 136 deaths had been recorded in the DRC by June 10, with the outbreak spreading to three new health zones in Ituri and North Kivu.
The epidemic is driven by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which circulated undetected for weeks before May 15 and has no vaccine or approved treatment; WHO has declared it an international public health emergency.
34 healthcare workers have been infected and seven have died, while aid cuts, border closures and insecurity have left only about a quarter of critical supplies delivered for the next three months in the DRC and Uganda.
Bunia residents say the outbreak is already hitting daily life and incomes, shutting clothing trade, reducing motorcycle taxi demand and disrupting flights in the border hub.
Doctors warn the outbreak is not yet plateauing, and misinformation is worsening containment by driving patients to traditional healers, fueling hostility toward responders and delaying treatment.
As travel bans isolate Ebola's epicenters, are global policies helping or hurting?
With no approved vaccine, is the world ready for a new Ebola pandemic?
When mistrust is deadlier than the virus, how can health workers win the fight?
Bundibugyo Ebola in DRC and Uganda (June 2026): Why This Outbreak Is Harder to Stop
Overview
As of June 10, 2026, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda are facing a Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak that demands urgent and coordinated action. Both countries, supported by partners and the World Health Organization, have launched public health measures such as rapid response teams, improved surveillance, laboratory confirmation, contact tracing, and isolation facilities. However, the response is challenged by insecurity, which makes it hard to reach affected communities, and by frequent population movement that complicates tracking and containment. Weak contact follow-up further hinders efforts to control the outbreak’s spread, making the situation especially complex.