Is the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo out of control?

Ebola outbreak in the DR Congo And it is very severe. This is the 17th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 1976. The virus is a subtype of the Bundibugyo ebolavirus. Crucially, at the time, there was neither an approved vaccine nor a specific treatment for this strain, making containment very difficult. Researchers discovered that the first cases had already appeared in January 2026 in the town of Mongbwalu, yet authorities did not officially declare the outbreak until May 15. Due to this delay, the virus had time to spread, and by the time of the official declaration, the situation was already widespread. The epicenter was in Ituri province, but the virus spread rapidly to other regions: North Kivu, South Kivu, Tshopo, and Haut-Uele. Cases were also recorded in Uganda (including the capital, Kampala); the virus was transmitted via travel between the countries. Initially, neither medical personnel nor the general public were sufficiently alerted, meaning the first cases went undetected for a long time. In some regions, the state presence is unstable and the healthcare system weak, complicating patient isolation and contact tracing. Incidents occurred—for example, people in Mongbwalu attacked a mobile hospital and drove out patients. In Rwampara, the relatives of a deceased person were outraged that the body was not released to them for burial according to local rites. This significantly hindered the work of medical professionals. Misinformation also contributed to people avoiding health facilities. On May 17, 2026, the WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Experts—including representatives from the WHO, the EU, and other organizations—were deployed to the country to bolster measures regarding surveillance, treatment, prevention, and public awareness. Efforts were made to accelerate the development of a vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain. Despite weeks of effort, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been unable to bring the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa under control; on the contrary, the situation is worsening, and the risk of the virus spreading to neighboring countries is rising, the WHO reported. The outbreak is now the largest the country has ever experienced. In the past week alone, more infections (567) and deaths (296) were reported than in any single week previously. In total, the WHO cites 3,605 laboratory-confirmed cases, including 1,587 deaths; 651 patients survived the infection. The largest previous outbreak in the Congo occurred between 2018 and 2020, involving 3,317 confirmed cases.