[An image of a virus. Photo Credit: Pixabay]

The Ebola virus disease outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain was officially declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on May 15th, 2026.

As of June 13, 2026, health authorities have reported 676 confirmed cases, along with 136 of them being deaths, while the recoveries count has only been a little above 30, and the disease continues to increase and spread in the eastern portion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

This outbreak is particularly concerning due to its scale compared to recent years, and especially because this disease is spreading through community transmission.

The provinces mainly affected by the Bundibugyo virus strain were Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu.

Specifically, over 90% of the confirmed cases were found in the Ituri Province, while other cases have also been reported in North Kivu and South Kivu, with some cases found in Uganda, which is a neighboring area.

Officials suspect the virus may have been circulating while being unidentified for weeks or months before officially being identified.

Unlike the Zaire strain, which is the more common form of this disease, there is currently no approved vaccine specifically for the Bundibugyo strain and no specific treatment.

This creates further challenges as there is no approved vaccine specifically for the Bundibugyo strain, although patients can receive supportive care while different treatments and vaccines continue to be studied.

Overall, the Ebola virus disease had first been identified in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1976, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo had experienced multiple Ebola outbreaks since then, specifically facing at least 16 previous Ebola outbreaks prior to the current outbreak in 2026.

This outbreak has led to various challenges, as for example the armed conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, along with population displacement, difficult in tracing the contact, along with limited healthcare infrastructure with the public mistrusting the health authorities.

Additionally, various officials in relation to healthcare were infected during this outbreak, especially since the virus is known for staying highly infectious even after the death of those diagnosed.

In response to this outbreak, the isolation centers created for patients were established, along with programs launched specifically dedicated to contact tracing.

Along with this, the World Health Organization(WHO) and  various international organizations are collaborating with local authorities to combat the crisis.

Additionally, those in contact with the disease are currently being monitored by health officials, with over thousands of identified contacts being monitored.

In order to increase precautions and limit the spread, there has been an increase in border screenings between the neighboring countries and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, especially as frequent border crossings and mining activity had led to the increased spread into the neighboring areas.