The DRC Health Ministry confirmed over 1,000 cases by late June,

The outbreak was confirmed in May 2026, primarily in the Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This is the 17th Ebola outbreak in the country. The affected strain of the virus is the Bundibugyo variant, which presents additional challenges due to the limited availability of treatments and vaccines. By mid-June 2026, approximately 676 confirmed cases and 136 deaths had been reported in the DRC. Neighboring Uganda was also affected by the outbreak. The Ebola outbreak continues to worsen: According to the government, the number of confirmed cases has risen to over 1,500, and at least 473 people have died. Infections have been recorded in the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu, while health authorities are working intensively to contain the spread of the virus. These three provinces are located in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo and are often considered together because they are closely linked politically, in terms of security, and in humanitarian matters. North Kivu and South Kivu historically belong to the Kivu region, while Ituri is now administratively a separate province. In current reports on eastern Congo, the three provinces frequently appear in connection with conflicts, displacement, and health crises, such as the current Ebola outbreaks and humanitarian emergencies. International maps and situation reports also often list Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu together because many problems are cross-border and regionally intertwined. The Bundibugyo strain poses a particular challenge, as it spread undetected for weeks while authorities were testing for the more common Zaire strain. Currently, there is neither an approved vaccine nor a treatment for this strain. The Bundibugyo strain is a rare variant of the Ebola virus, first described in 2007 in Bundibugyo, western Uganda; during outbreaks, it can cause severe, often fatal, Ebola disease. Bundibugyo belongs to the orthoebolavirus family and is one of several Ebola pathogens that infect humans. Scientific reports indicate an incubation period of approximately 2 to 21 days, and the initial symptoms are often nonspecific, such as fever, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, and sore throat. However, there is new hope after clinical trials began this week with a drug that researchers believe could be the first effective treatment against the virus—a potential breakthrough in the country's fight against one of its deadliest public health crises.