Ebola outbreak in DR Congo and Uganda
WHO has declared the Ebola outbreak (Bundibugyo virus) in DR Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). It affects several health zones in the eastern DRC province of Ituri, with confirmed cases also in Kinshasa and in Kampala, Uganda.
Where: Multi-country (DR Congo: Ituri, Kinshasa · Uganda: Kampala)
On 17 May 2026, WHO declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). The determination cites the high positivity rate of initial samples, confirmation of cases in both Kampala and Kinshasa, the increasing trends in suspected cases and clusters of deaths, combined with ongoing insecurity, humanitarian crisis, high population mobility, and the urban or semi-urban nature of the hotspot.
For travellers
WHO advises that contacts or cases of Bundibugyo virus disease should not travel internationally unless it is part of an appropriate medical evacuation. Because the hotspots are partly urban (Bunia, Kinshasa, Kampala) and semi-urban, and because the region sees high population mobility, WHO and Africa CDC consider the risk of cross-border spread to be high.
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Sources: WHO 17 May 2026, WHO 15 May 2026, Africa CDC 15 May 2026, ECDC 26 May 2026 · As of 25 September 2026 · Reviewed 17 May 2026, Dominik Martin. About the author