Particle.news
Get it on Google Play
Download on the App Store
17 ARTICLES
·
2mo ago

Ebola Outbreak in Eastern DRC Grows and Spreads to Uganda

Health agencies warn the Bundibugyo strain is expanding rapidly and poses a regional threat because no approved vaccine or treatment exists for this variant.

Le directeur général de l’Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, s’exprime lors d’une conférence de presse sur l’épidémie d’Ebola en République démocratique du Congo et en Ouganda, à Genève, le 20 mai 2026
Vue générale d'une tente médicale d'urgence incendiée, qui avait été installée pour lutter contre l'épidémie d'Ebola par l'ONG Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) à l'hôpital de Mongbwalu (République démocratique du Congo), le 23 mai 2026
Image
Des membres du personnel médical, en combinaisons de protection, près du cercueil d'un patient décédé du virus Ebola dans un hôpital à Rwampara, le 21 mai 2026 en RDC

Overview

  • The outbreak, centred in Ituri and now reported in North Kivu and South Kivu, has produced dozens of confirmed cases and rapidly rising suspect counts, with WHO reporting 82 confirmed cases and about 750 suspected cases as of its May 22 assessment.
  • Cross-border transmission has been established in Uganda, where authorities confirmed three new cases on May 23 to bring the total there to five, and all identified contacts are under active follow-up.
  • The World Health Organization raised the national risk level for the DRC to "very high" on May 22, citing fast spread and limits on surveillance caused by insecurity and poor access to affected communities.
  • Violence and local resistance have disrupted the response: treatment tents were burned, an isolation unit was vandalised and families have refused to follow safe-burial protocols, hampering testing, contact tracing and patient care.
  • With no licensed countermeasures for Bundibugyo, international agencies are prioritising emergency trials of monoclonal antibodies, antivirals and candidate vaccines while regional bodies warn up to ten neighbouring countries face heightened risk.