Ebola outbreak 2026: Q&A with experts

Following African CDC reports of 246 suspected cases and 80 deaths from Ebola virus disease in North Eastern DRC, our experts from the School of Public Health share their insights in this Q&A. 

Last updated 16-05-2026 at 17.00

What is Ebola, how is it spread, what are the symptoms and how is it treated?

Ebola virus disease is a viral haemorrhagic fever caused by species of orthoebolaviruses (here referred to as EVD or EBOV). Ebola has caused over 40 documented confirmed outbreaks since 1976, with an average case fatality ratio over 50%. Outbreaks are typically linked to zoonotic spillover (animal-to-human transmission) followed by human-to-human transmission via close contact with an infected individual’s bodily fluids (either directly or through contaminated surfaces such as shared bedding). 

There are four distinct species of orthoebolavirus known to affect humans: Zaire, Sudan, Bundibugyo and Tai Forest. Zaire is the most well-documented due to its involvement in major outbreaks (e.g. the 2013-16 West African EVD outbreak). The Sudan species has caused nine outbreaks since 1976, most recently in January 2025. Bundibugyo has only caused two  outbreaks in 2007 and 2012, and Tai Forest is only known to have infected a single person in Cote d’Ivoire in 1994. As a result, the epidemiology of the non-Zaire species, particularly the Bundibugyo and Tai Forest species, is not well characterised. The case fatality rate of Ebola virus disease from the Bundibugyo species is estimated at 30% to 40%. 

The symptoms of Ebola infection can be sudden and include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache and sore throat followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, and internal and external bleeding. Treatment options are limited: only two monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapeutics are licensed for use, and both are specific to Zaire. Antiviral treatments are not available for other EBOV species, including Bundibugyo.  Without therapeutic options, treatment is limited to supportive care, including rehydration, electrolyte balancing and the stabilisation of oxygen and blood pressure. 

What do we know so far about this outbreak? What strain is causing the outbreak?

As of the 15th of May 2026, Africa CDC has reported 246 suspected cases (i.e. individuals with symptoms compatible with Ebola but who have not been confirmed by laboratory testing), and 80 deaths, mainly in Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones in North Eastern DRC Ituri province, not far from the Ugandan border. Of those suspected cases, 13 were confirmed by diagnostic testing, of whom 4 died. 

Genomic analyses have now confirmed that the outbreak is caused by Bundibugyo. 

How is an outbreak of Ebola contained? What are the challenges here?

Non-pharmaceutical interventions are cornerstones of Ebola outbreak response. These interventions include community engagement, active case finding, contact tracing, isolation, management and treatment of suspect and confirmed cases, and safe burials. Individuals with the disease are particularly infectious around the time of death. 

Deploying non-pharmaceutical interventions is feasible in theory, but can become very resource-intensive as soon as case numbers are large. Interventions are challenging to implement, especially in large urban centres, highly connected areas, or areas impacted by conflict. Additionally, late detection of an outbreak can have catastrophic consequences (e.g. in West Africa).

The licensed Ebola vaccines only protect from infection with Ebola Zaire, the species which historically has caused large outbreaks most frequently. There is a global vaccine stockpile and it can be delivered in response to a Zaire oubreak by vaccinating contacts of cases or individuals living in affected areas. There are currently no vaccines licensed for Bundibugyo or other species. 

This makes an outbreak caused by Bundibugyo potentially more challenging to contain because there is no vaccine to protect populations at risk. Additional challenges specific to this outbreak include high mobility and connectivity between the Ituri province and bordering regions and countries. Conflicts have historically made Ebola responses more difficult to manage in the Eastern DRC (read more about this here and here). 

Is this a significant outbreak compared to previous outbreaks?

To date, there have been 33 documented zoonotic spillover events involving Ebola viruses (excluding laboratory-related transmission), 25 of which were caused by the Zaire species.

With 246 suspected cases according to the Africa CDC report from the 15th of May 2026, the last available estimates, the outbreak ranks as the 7th largest outbreak across all species of virus. This is likely already the largest documented Bundibugyo outbreak with only 131 and 38 cases reported in previous outbreaks. 

As of the 16th of May 2026, there are 80 suspected community deaths in the current outbreak. This is significant because it suggests an unusually high number of suspected cases and deaths were identified before the outbreak was officially declared.  In recent years, Ebola outbreaks due to the Zaire species were declared after clusters of at most 30 suspected cases and 15-20 community deaths. Even the 2013-16 West Africa epidemic, which occurred in countries with no prior history of Ebola outbreaks, was declared after 86 suspected cases and 59 suspected deaths. This indicates that the outbreak has likely gone undetected and spread for several weeks or even months. This can make standard control measures, such as community engagement and contact tracing, considerably more difficult to implement effectively. 

Is there risk to the rest of DRC or other nearby countries?

Yes, as stated by the African CDC in their press release on the 15th of May 2026, there is risk to both the rest of the DRC and nearby countries of Uganda and South Sudan due to their geographical proximity and high connectivity within the affected regions. A death was already reported in Uganda on the 15th of May 2026. Bunia and Rwampara are urban centres associated with high population movement, while Mongwalu is a mining town potentially well connected to the rest of the country. The region is highly unstable due to ongoing conflict which makes outbreak detection, surveillance and response challenging. The DRC, Uganda and South Sudan with support from the Africa CDC and other partners have taken immediate actions to strengthen surveillance, preparedness and response, and to help contain transmission as quickly as possible. 

Is there any risk to the UK?

The risk to the UK is very low . In the 2013-16 West African Ebola outbreak there were only a handful of cases exported to Europe despite the almost 30,000 cases in West Africa, and these were mostly international healthcare workers repatriated after being infected. There is no documented sustained spread of Ebola outside of Africa (no more than 1-2 generations of infection and mostly among healthcare workers).

Additional information

There is limited official information released at the moment. Evidence on the epidemiological characteristics of the Bundibugyo species is limited, which makes it challenging to understand the epidemiological risk associated with this event.

Experts contributing to this Q&A: 

Dr Anne Cori, Dr Gemma Nedjati Gilani, Dr Ruth McCabe, Dr Rebecca Nash, Dr Janetta Skarp, Dr Christian Morgenstern, Prof Katharina Hauck, Prof Neil Ferguson, Dr Sabine van Elsland, Imperial College London