Ebola Disease
A live watch on the Bundibugyo ebolavirus epidemic in Central Africa: cases, status and the events that matter across the regions Avicena tracks. Select a region to focus the overview, the numbers, the map and the key events.

Global
The 2026 Central Africa epidemic is now the largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the largest ever caused by Bundibugyo virus, and the fastest growing. WHO confirmed on 1 August that it has surpassed the 2018 to 2020 Kivu epidemic. Globally it is second only to West Africa 2013 to 2016. It was declared on 15 May 2026 and WHO determined it a public health emergency of international concern on 16 May. The species matters: Bundibugyo is not Zaire, so the licensed vaccine and both licensed antibody treatments do not apply. WHO recommended against using Ervebo on 28 May. The response has run on isolation, contact tracing and supportive care while vaccines and therapeutics are developed from a standing start. An International Health Regulations emergency committee meets on 18 August to review the emergency determination.
- Key Facts
- Six Ebola species are recognised. Countermeasures do not cross between them.
- Ervebo, Inmazeb and Ebanga are licensed against Zaire ebolavirus only.
- Bundibugyo had caused just two outbreaks before this one, in 2007 and 2012.
- Africa CDC found no antigen rapid test met WHO specifications, so testing is PCR only.
- The world's first Bundibugyo vaccine entered phase 1 trials on 23 Jul 2026 and a second, Moderna's mRNA-1469, followed on 3 Aug. Neither can help this outbreak.
- Since 1976 there have been roughly 45 recorded outbreaks, about 37,900 cases and 16,600 deaths.
- The largest remains West Africa 2013 to 2016, with 28,652 cases and 11,325 deaths.
- WHO confirmed on 1 August 2026 that this is now DRC's largest recorded Ebola outbreak, surpassing the 2018 to 2020 Kivu epidemic.
- An International Health Regulations emergency committee meets on 18 August 2026 to review the public health emergency determination.
By the Numbers
DR Congo
Ituri province is the epicentre, and the epidemic has reached North Kivu, Haut Uele, Tshopo and South Kivu. Growth has been near vertical: 11 cases on 16 May, 1,003 by 20 June, 3,360 by 27 July and 3,973 confirmed by 4 August. It passed 1,000 confirmed cases within 40 days of the response activating, where the 2018 outbreak in the same country took about 235 days. On 1 August WHO confirmed this is now the largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded in the country. The case fatality ratio is still rising, from 44.2 percent on 1 August to 45.3 percent on 4 August, and most deaths are now occurring in the community rather than in treatment centres, which means people are still dying outside care. The response is operating inside an active conflict zone involving several armed groups, and has been repeatedly disrupted by violence, displacement and restricted access for response teams.
- Key Facts
- 3,973 confirmed cases and 1,801 deaths as at 4 Aug 2026, a crude case fatality ratio of 45.3 percent.
- Adding the closed Uganda arm of 20 cases and the single exported case in France takes the whole outbreak to 3,994 cases and 1,803 deaths.
- 51 of 140 health zones are affected across five provinces as at 4 Aug: Ituri 28 of 36, North Kivu 12 of 34, Haut Uele 5 of 13, Tshopo 5 of 23 and South Kivu 1 of 34.
- National contact follow-up fell to 75.3 percent on 4 Aug, from 78.4 percent the day before. Cases are rising while the share of contacts being followed is falling, which is the indicator to watch.
- North Kivu's case fatality ratio is 67.0 percent, well above the national 45.3 percent, on 436 confirmed cases and 292 deaths as at 4 Aug.
- 270 suspected cases were reported on 4 Aug and 776 patients have recovered in total.
- Detection was late and then slow. The index case developed symptoms on 24 April, about three weeks before the outbreak was found, and initial testing looked for Zaire virus and returned negative, costing a further two weeks.
- Of the 44 deaths recorded on 3 Aug, 30 were community deaths confirmed by post-mortem swab, meaning two thirds of those who died had not reached a treatment centre.
- 151 health and care workers had confirmed infections as at 30 Jul 2026, with 44 deaths, a case fatality ratio of 29 percent.
- The response is running inside an active conflict zone and has been repeatedly disrupted by violence, displacement and restricted access.
By the Numbers
Uganda
Uganda declared its outbreak on 15 May 2026 after cases crossed from DRC, and declared it over on 28 July with 20 confirmed cases, 18 recoveries and 2 deaths. There was no documented community transmission. Containment came from surveillance, rapid laboratory testing, genome sequencing and digital contact tracing, with every contact monitored for 21 days. Uganda had no vaccine and no specific treatment available, exactly as in DRC. The contrast between 20 cases here and 3,360 across the border is the clearest available demonstration that detection speed, not medicine, decides the size of an Ebola outbreak.
- Key Facts
- Declared over on 28 July 2026, after 42 days with no new confirmed case.
- The last confirmed case was reported on 21 June 2026.
- Cases were confined to the Kampala metropolitan area.
- Contained without any licensed vaccine or therapeutic for Bundibugyo virus.
- Uganda has now ended four Ebola outbreaks since 2022, three of them Sudan virus.
By the Numbers
Key Events 15 entries
- 6 Aug 2026
- 5 Aug 2026
- 4 Aug 2026
- 1 Aug 2026
- 28 Jul 2026Uganda Ministry of HealthUganda
- 26 Jul 2026
- 23 Jul 2026GaviUnited Kingdom
- 15 Jul 2026
- 12 Jul 2026
- 3 Jul 2026
- 1 Jun 2026CEPI / GaviGlobal
- 28 May 2026
- 22 May 2026
- 17 May 2026
- 15 May 2026
Key Events 16 entries
- 4 Aug 2026
- 3 Aug 2026
- 2 Aug 2026
- 1 Aug 2026
- 31 Jul 2026
- 30 Jul 2026
- 29 Jul 2026
- 28 Jul 2026
- 27 Jul 2026WHO AFRO / ECDCDRC
- 22 Jul 2026WHO AFRODRC
- 15 Jul 2026
- 30 Jun 2026WHOTshopo
- 20 Jun 2026
- 23 May 2026
- 17 May 2026
- 15 May 2026DRC Ministry of Public HealthIturi
Key Events 5 entries
- 28 Jul 2026Uganda Ministry of HealthUganda
- 16 Jul 2026Uganda Ministry of HealthKampala
- 21 Jun 2026WHOKampala
- 19 May 2026Uganda Ministry of HealthUganda
- 15 May 2026Uganda Ministry of HealthKampala
Every Affected Country
Every country with a recorded human Ebola case since 1976, including imported cases and laboratory exposures, grouped by region. The 2026 epidemic rows move; the historical rows are settled.
Africa 13 countries
3,360 confirmed and 1,487 deaths in the 2026 Bundibugyo epidemic; 17 outbreaks since the virus was discovered at Yambuku in 1976, more than any other country
Where Ituri; North Kivu; Yambuku; Kikwit; Bulape
20 confirmed and 2 deaths in 2026, contained in 74 days with no community transmission; previously the 2000 Gulu outbreak (425 cases) and three Sudan virus outbreaks since 2022
Where Kampala; Mubende; Bundibugyo; Gulu
The 1976 Nzara outbreak (284 cases, 151 deaths) was one of the two simultaneous outbreaks that first identified Ebola; recurrences in 1979 and 2004
Where Nzara; Maridi; Yambio
Index country of the 2013 to 2016 West Africa epidemic, the largest on record; a 2021 resurgence was traced to a survivor still shedding virus about five years later
Where Gueckedou; N'Zerekore
One of the three worst-affected countries in the West Africa epidemic
Where Monrovia; Lofa
One of the three worst-affected countries in the West Africa epidemic; Bombali virus, a sixth Ebola species with no known human cases, was found in bats here in 2018
Where Kenema; Freetown
Three outbreaks between 1994 and 1997, several traced to contact with infected primates
Where Mayibout; Booue; Makokou
Outbreaks in 2001 to 2003 and 2005, linked to the Gabon border region
Where Mbomo; Kelle; Etoumbi
One case, a scientist infected during a chimpanzee necropsy in Tai National Park; the only recorded human Tai Forest virus infection, and the patient survived
Where Tai National Park
20 cases after a single infected traveller arrived in Lagos; contained within three months and widely cited as a model response
Where Lagos; Port Harcourt
8 cases imported during the West Africa epidemic
Where Bamako; Kayes
1 imported case, no onward transmission
Where Dakar
1 case, a nurse infected while treating a patient evacuated from Gabon
Where Johannesburg
Europe 6 countries
2 humanitarian workers medically evacuated from DR Congo and treated in Berlin; both recovered. Also the site of the original 1967 Marburg outbreak, a related filovirus
Where Berlin; Marburg
1 doctor infected on a humanitarian mission in DR Congo, confirmed 24 Jun 2026 and discharged 4 Jul
Where Paris
1 secondary infection in a nurse who treated a repatriated missionary, the first Ebola transmission recorded outside Africa
Where Madrid
1 laboratory infection from a needlestick in 1976; imported cases in returning healthcare workers during the West Africa epidemic
Where London; Glasgow
1 imported case in a returning healthcare worker; also a 1992 Reston virus event in imported monkeys, which caused no human illness
Where Rome; Siena
2 fatal laboratory infections, in 1996 and 2004, both from needlestick injuries
Where Sergiev Posad; Koltsovo
North America 1 country
4 imported or locally transmitted cases during the West Africa epidemic, including 2 nurses infected in Dallas; separately, Reston virus events in imported monkeys from 1989, which caused seroconversion but no illness
Where Dallas; Reston; New York
Southeast Asia 1 country
Repeated Reston virus events in monkey export facilities and pig farms; workers seroconverted but none became ill. Reston is the only Ebola species not known to cause human disease
Where Manila; Laguna
Source: WHO AFRO weekly external situation reports, WHO Disease Outbreak News, ECDC. Updated weekly, following the WHO AFRO situation report. Other trackers: H5N1 Bird Flu.