Congo-Uganda Ebola outbreak worst at this stage, over 200 dead

Dakar,UPDATED: Jun 19, 2026 04:50 IST

The Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda has killed more than 200 people in its first month and is the worst known outbreak at this stage, according to Africa's Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency said there could be up to 35,000 suspected contacts linked to the outbreak.

With 894 confirmed cases so far, the current outbreak is three times worse than Uganda's 2000 outbreak, which had 281 cases at the same stage, said Dr Wessam Mankoula, a medical epidemiologist at Africa CDC. He said the actual number of cases is likely to be higher because the outbreak was confirmed on May 15, weeks after it was suspected to have begun.

Mankoula said cases have risen 38% since last week and the outbreak has now spread to 32 health zones across eastern Congo. The outbreak is being caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has no approved vaccines or treatments and was not tested for in the early days. The more common Zaire virus, for which a vaccine exists, was behind most of Congo's past 16 Ebola outbreaks. So far, 74 patients have recovered in eastern Congo and Uganda, while experimental treatments such as monoclonal antibodies are being developed for Bundibugyo.

The outbreak is concentrated in Congo's eastern province of Ituri, which accounts for more than 90% of the cases. Cases have also been recorded in North Kivu and South Kivu, and have crossed into Uganda, where 19 confirmed cases and two deaths have been reported.

Contact tracing remains a major challenge because of the remoteness of the area and continuing insecurity in Ituri, Mankoula said. "For those 800 confirmed cases, we should have between 17,000 to 35,000 contacts that should be in our contact list," he said. At present, only around 4,000 contacts have been tracked and are being evaluated, which is less than 15%. "We are still far from controlling the situation of this outbreak," Mankoula said.

According to the UN humanitarian office, nearly a million people have been displaced by years of conflict in Ituri, making tracing harder as people flee attacks or move frequently through a vast province with dense forests, poor roads and remote villages that can take days to reach. Tracing is also difficult among thousands of miners who regularly move between remote sites in the mineral-rich region.

Mankoula said that of the more than $900 million pledged to fight the outbreak, only $90 million has been released. Africa CDC estimates it needs 540 personnel for the response, but has only 84 so far. "We're keeping our fingers crossed those new pledges will be fast tracked, and we'll be following up with different member states and different partners about their commitment to turn those pledges into actual money released to their affected countries or partners," he said.

The outbreak has spread quickly across eastern Congo and into Uganda, with Africa CDC saying the response is being held back by delayed detection, weak contact tracing, insecurity, displacement and shortages of money and personnel.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends