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Discussion - Ebola outbreaks 2026 (DRC & Uganda)

Treyfish

Treyfish

Moderator
2m

#FLASH: Among the last confirmed cases of Ebola on May 18 in Ituri is an #American doctor.

In Butembo, two cases from Katwa were also tested positive, according to Professor Jean-Jacques Muyembe.​
:tiphat:
https://x.com/VolcansLes
 
:tiphat:This guy calls it a different unknown strain of ebola :rolleyes:

Hes on a video and discovered the Zaire strain??

FM
@TopCongo
Translated from French
« The current Ebola virus epidemic is of an unknown strain » The Ebola virus epidemic currently raging in the DRC and Uganda is a new strain that was previously unknown. It is not the Zaire, Sudan, or Bundibugyo strains. « It is also not the Taï Forest Ebola virus, which is very rare in humans », stated Professor MUYEMBE on TOP CONGO FM. The current strain has a lethality lower than that of the Zaire strain. Only the Zaire virus has a treatment and a vaccine, discovered by Professor MUYEMBE. To date, 91 people have died from this epidemic, the 17th since 1974.
@lusakuenoc

@MTamfum

@SanteRDCongo

@GoCDC

@OMS_Afrique

@OMSRDCONGO
#RDC #DRC Program in progress:
Rate this translation:
7:40 AM · May 18, 2026
·
2,543
Views​
:tiphat:
https://x.com/TopCongo/status/2056339137922261048
 
I started this discussion thread with the 1st post because this journalist or his site are not known to us. He may be 100% correct. We just don't know.

Please see our news threads here:

DRC

Uganda
 
Last edited:
This is an FM radio broadcaster. He is likely mistaken. UVRI in Kampala and INRB in Kinshasa have both confirmed Bundibugyo strain, and I trust them more than this radio program.
 
Translation Google

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​

The story begins with Patrick

Patrick is a nurse. On April 24, 2026, he developed symptoms in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Fever. Fatigue. Vomiting. Signs that, at first glance, resembled malaria or the flu.
Two days later, on April 26, Marie, a close friend, also fell ill. The same symptoms. The same rapid progression.
On April 27, Patrick died in Bunia. On April 28, Marie also died.
No one is calling the health authorities.
In the community, these two deaths don't resemble an epidemic. They resemble a punishment. The story circulating is called "Tumu." A pastor supposedly burned fetishes. And according to local belief, this is what caused his death and that of his wife. The illness is mystical. It's not medical. People don't call the health center. They mourn. They touch the bodies. They gather together.
Patrick's body was repatriated to the health zone of Mongwalu, a mining town 80 kilometers from Bunia. During the funeral ceremonies, relatives wept around him, touched him, and stayed close to him. Marie had been buried in the same way. Those who had accompanied them in death now unknowingly carried the virus.
Throughout April, the virus spread silently through the community of Mongwalu. Africa CDC later estimated that there were four weeks of uncontrolled transmission before the first official alert. In one family in Mongwalu alone, 15 people died. Five of them had gone to attend a family gathering in Bunia. They returned sick and died within two weeks, all with the same symptoms: headaches, fever, and vomiting.
On April 30, the authorities received the first signal. Tests were carried out in Bunia. The result was negative for the Zaire strain, the most well-known. The samples were sent to Kinshasa, to the national reference laboratory, the INRB.
On May 5, an alert exploded on social media. Reports circulated of approximately 50 deaths in Mongwalu. Authorities verified the information, investigated, and deployed a team to the field. Days passed. On the evening of May 14, the INRB confirmed: it was Ebola. But not the Zaire strain. On May 15, genomic sequencing provided the definitive answer: it was the Bundibugyo strain. A strain for which there is neither an approved vaccine nor a specific treatment. The epidemic was officially declared. It was the seventeenth in the DRC since 1976.
Meanwhile, the virus has followed the patients. Sick people from Mongwalu sought treatment in Rwampara, then in Bunia. Three health zones are now affected.
And Patrick is no longer the only one who has traveled.
Joseph was 59 years old. A Congolese national, he left Ituri and traveled to Kampala, Uganda. It is not known exactly when he left, with whom, or by what means of transport. It is known that he arrived at a hospital in the Ugandan capital on May 11, with a fever and respiratory distress. He died on May 14. Tests confirmed the Bundibugyo strain, the same as in the DRC. His body was repatriated to the DRC for burial that same day.
Who travelled with Joseph from Ituri? Who took the same vehicle, the same boat, the same bus? Who treated him in Kampala? Who brought his body back? How was the burial organized? As of May 16, these questions remain unanswered.
This is the case with Joseph, which changes the nature of the response. As soon as a second country is affected, responsibility shifts to Africa CDC at the regional and continental levels. Jean Kaseya, the institution's director general, says what the figures don't yet show: "We are facing situations where transmission must be quite significant."
South Sudan is put on alert. Kenya forms a national preparedness team. The United States closes Ituri to its citizens. The United Kingdom contributes one million pounds to the WHO. Africa CDC brings together 130 partners in a single day. MSF prepares a large-scale response. Museveni convenes his epidemic task force in Kampala and says: "There is no cause for alarm."
As of May 16, 2026, the provisional toll is 87 reported deaths, 13 laboratory-confirmed cases including 4 healthcare workers. Still no vaccine. Still no approved treatment.
The story began with Patrick, a nurse who died in Bunia, whose body was repatriated to Mongwalu and started everything.
Five weeks later, three countries are on alert.

The names have been changed to protect the identity of the individuals involved. Patrick, Marie, and Joseph are pseudonyms.

PL
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​

Ebola: Five things to know this Monday, May 18

It's a virus that came out of the forest, never before seen in humans.

The complete genome sequencing, confirmed simultaneously by the INRB in Kinshasa and the Kampala laboratory, establishes that the Bundibugyo variant circulating in Ituri does not derive from either the 2007 Ugandan epidemic or the 2012 Isiro epidemic. It is a direct spillover, a transmission from animal to human from a still unidentified forest reservoir. Muyembe states this clearly: the nurse from Rwampara, who died on April 24, is probably not the index case. Someone else contracted the virus in the forest before him.

The field test is not designed to detect this virus.

The GeneXpert, a rapid diagnostic tool widely used in the DRC, is specific to the Zaire strain. When tested for Bundibugyo, it gave a negative result on all samples tested, including those confirmed positive by other methods. This is a technical limitation of the test, not human error. It contributed to the delayed detection, along with other factors: samples arriving in Kinshasa in small quantities and without adherence to cold chain requirements, an initial negative test in Bunia, and field teams trained to prioritize Zaire testing. Bundibugyo is circulating for only the third time in history. It is rare. And not all available tools are calibrated to detect it.

The epidemic is spreading: 6 areas affected

In a single day, the map of the epidemic has changed. Butembo-Katwa in North Kivu, Nyankunde in Ituri, and Goma have been added to the areas already affected. Six areas are now officially affected. Among the new confirmed cases is an American doctor, who tested positive in Bunia. The number of suspected deaths rose from 80 on Friday to 118 this Monday, according to government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya.

No vaccine, no treatment. And the tools used against Zaire are probably useless.

Bundibugyo has no approved vaccine or specific treatment. Muyembe is clear: being vaccinated against Ebola Zaire probably does not protect against this variant. There is no evidence of cross-protection. Treatment is palliative. Molnupiravir is being considered as a possible treatment, pending WHO approval. Vaccine candidates and molecules could be submitted for clinical trials by the end of May or early June, according to Muyembe.

The international response is toughening, but resources are lacking on the ground.

The WHO declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17. The AU, the EAC, the Africa CDC, and the World Bank are mobilized. The United States has suspended all visa operations in Kampala. But in Mongwalu, an MSF doctor says there is a shortage of everything: medicine, protective equipment, and epidemiologists. Oxfam goes further: cuts in humanitarian aid have weakened surveillance systems and delayed the detection of the epidemic by several weeks. This is the central tension of this crisis. The mobilization is real. The resources on the ground are not yet keeping pace.

PL

​---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In Nyankunde, the story of Peter…

Peter Stafford is a doctor. American. Since 2023, he has lived and worked in Bunia, in the Ituri province, with the American Christian missionary organization Serge, based in Pennsylvania. His wife, Rebekah Stafford, is also a doctor. The couple lives there with their four children. A third missionary doctor, Patrick LaRochelle, also works with them.

On May 15, health authorities officially declared a new Ebola outbreak in Ituri. Meanwhile, the three doctors continued to treat patients in the region.

Peter Stafford works at the hospital in Nyankunde. Not in Mongbwalu, the official epicenter located about 80 kilometers northwest of Bunia. In Nyankunde, in the Irumu territory, about 45 kilometers southwest of Bunia, at the seat of the Andisoma chiefdom.

At the start of the outbreak, Nyankunde was not among the officially affected areas. This Monday, the government officially confirmed that the area is now affected. Two weeks after the outbreak was declared, Ebola reached a hospital located less than fifty kilometers from Bunia.

Peter Stafford developed symptoms. He was tested under the supervision of the Africa CDC, in partnership with the WHO. The result was positive for the Bundibugyo variant of the Ebola virus.

Rebekah Stafford and Patrick LaRochelle remain asymptomatic. All three doctors are adhering to quarantine protocols.

Peter Stafford is not the first healthcare worker affected by this outbreak. Since the beginning of the epidemic, of the 13 laboratory-confirmed cases, four have already involved Congolese healthcare workers. Four healthcare workers have died in Mongbwalu.

What Peter Stafford encountered in Nyankunde is something Congolese doctors and nurses have been facing since the early days of the epidemic.

PL

​https://www.facebook.com/LigodI



About Patient Ligodi:

Patient Ligodi , born on February 18, 1984 in Goma , is a Congolese journalist .

He is the founder and editor-in-chief of Actualite.cd . He is also a permanent correspondent for Radio France Internationale in the Democratic Republic of Congo [ 1 ] . He also works for several other media outlets, including Reuters [ 2 ] , Le Monde [ 3 ] , Vatican Radio , and RTBF [ 4 ] , as a correspondent in Central Africa. An entrepreneur in the media sector, he founded and managed the radio station Univers FM [ 5 ] , deskeco.com [ 6 ] , and desknature.com [ 7 ] . He is also a co-founder of the online media outlet Politico.cd. He initiated and co-founded the Association of Online Media of the DRC (MILRDC) [ 8 ] , of which he was the first president.
...
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patient_Ligodi​​
 
WHO :

Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus, Democratic Republic of the Congo & Uganda

16 May 2026
...
The first currently known suspected case, a health worker, reported onset of symptoms including fever, hemorrhaging, vomiting and intense malaise on 24 April 2026. The case died at a medical centre in Bunia.
...
/https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2026-DON602
------------------------------------------------------

These two reports indicate that community fear and deaths began around late March. Even though the first suspected case (a health worker) was on April 24, it suggests undetected transmission might have started weeks before.


Red Cross of the DRC:

Translation Google-

DR Congo
COD: Epidemic - 04-2026 - 17th EVD in Mungbwalu in Ituri/DRC (2026-05-16)
Format Situation Report Sources Red Cross of the DRC IFRC Posted May 18, 2026 Originally published May 16, 2026 Origin View original
...
Description

Since March 30, 2026, widespread fear has gripped the population of the Mongbwalu health zone following a series of deaths exhibiting the same symptoms described below. The triggering event is believed to be the body of a Mongbwalu resident who died and was placed in a coffin purchased in Bunia, then replaced once in Mongbwalu. This manipulation of both the body and the contaminated coffin is thought to be the source of the alarmingly increasing number of infections and deaths observed in Mongbwalu and the city of Bunia. Those affected present with similar signs and symptoms, including high fever, chest pain, intense fatigue, persistent cough, nosebleeds in some cases, vomiting, loss of consciousness, coma, and ultimately, death. The HOPE Clinic, the ASIFIWE Clinic, the CECA 20 Health Center, the Mongbwalu Health Center, the Bénédiction Health Post, and the Mongbwalu General Referral Hospital (HGR) are the medical facilities currently providing care for patients, although we do not know the specific care packages or personal protective equipment available to them. A particularly alarming situation is the already reported deaths of several healthcare professionals, including three nurses from the Mongbwalu HGR and one nurse from a local health post, as well as three volunteers from the CRRDC (Regional Center for the Rehabilitation of the Congolese People).
...

/https://reliefweb.int/report/democr...6-17eme-evd-mungbwalu-en-ituri-rdc-2026-05-16
----------------------------------------------------------------
MSF:

18 May 26 | 19 May 26

Ebola outbreak 2026: What is MSF doing and how can I help?
...
Beginning on 9 May, MSF received alerts of deaths from a 'suspected viral haemorrhagic fever' spreading since the start of April. We sent a team to investigate with the Ministry of Health.
...

/https://msf.org.uk/article/ebola-outbreak-2026-what-msf-doing-and-how-can-i-help

​
 
Imperial researchers estimate scale of Ebola outbreak in DRC

by Jack Stewart, Sabine L. van Elsland
19 May 2026

Researchers from Imperial College London, in collaboration with the World Health Organization and regional health authorities have published a report estimating that the size of the ongoing outbreak of Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is likely larger than official figures currently suggest.

As of 16 May 2026, there were 336 suspected cases and 88 deaths reported in the country, with confirmed cases identified in the Ituri Province and two additional cases detected in Kampala, Uganda, involving individuals who had travelled from the affected region.

Dr Anne Cori, Associate Professor in Infectious Disease Modelling, said: "Our analyses suggest that the true number of cases may be substantially higher than those confirmed to date. This underscores the urgent need for rapid, coordinated surveillance and response efforts across the region. The uncertainty surrounding our estimates also highlights the importance of collecting more detailed information on cases, both retrospectively and prospectively, to improve our understanding of the situation and enable a more effective response."

The report used two independent modelling techniques which estimated approximately 400 to 800 cases may have occurred, with a possibility that the total could currently exceed 1000 cases. As part of the report the researchers highlighted that these estimates are subject to considerable uncertainty due to nature of the data. Despite this uncertainty, they are confident that there is substantial under-detection of cases and potential for wider transmission. Therefore, the team stress the importance of surveillance and data collection to inform and improve the international response.
​
...

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/art...hers-estimate-scale-of-ebola-outbreak-in-drc/
 
Czech hospital admits US doctor after ‘deadly Ebola exposure’ in Uganda

FRANCISZEK JÓZEF BESZŁEJ
Edited by: Edward Wight
20.05.2026,

The Czech Republic is preparing to admit a US doctor who may have been exposed to the Ebola virus while working in Uganda, the Czech Health Ministry has said.

Health Minister Adam Vojtěch said that the man, who has not been identified, had been accepted after American officials asked for help…

The man, who has no symptoms and does not pose a danger to the public, will be taken to Bulovka University Hospital in the capital Prague, which specializes in treating highly dangerous infectious diseases.

Officials said that because the man came into contact with an infected person he should remain under observation for three weeks….
:tiphat:

https://tvpworld.com/93348852/czech...octor-after-possible-ebola-exposure-in-uganda

​
 
Paris to Detroit flight diverted to Montreal due to Ebola entry restrictions

​Posted 31 minutes ago

and last updated 6 minutes ago
​

snip


The flight, DL8719, departed France at around 4 pm local time. It was diverted to Montreal, where it remained on the ground for less than an hour while the passenger was removed. It was then allowed to fly to Metro, where it landed shortly after 8 pm.

Air France has released the following statement about the flight:
Air France confirms that, at the request of U.S. authorities, Flight AF378 on May 20, 2026, operating the Paris-Charles de Gaulle–Detroit (DTW) route, was diverted to Montreal Airport after a Congolese passenger on board was denied entry into the United States. In fact, under new regulations, passengers arriving from certain countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, may only enter U.S. territory via Washington (IAD) Airport. There was no medical emergency on board, and like all airlines, Air France is required to comply with the entry requirements of the countries it serves.​


​more...https://www.wxyz.com/news/paris-to-...d-to-montreal-due-to-ebola-entry-restrictions
 
unverified
:tiphat:
Mansang Chirchir
@mansang29
BREAKING NEWS: Suspected Ebola Virus case reported at an hospital in Eldoret.​

Eldoret is a city in the Rift Valley region of Kenya. It serves as the capital of Uasin Gishu County. Located in western Kenya and lying south of the Cherang'any Hills, the local elevation varies from about 2,100 metres (6,900 ft) at the Eldoret International Airportto more than 2,700 metres (8,900 ft) in nearby areas.​..
:tiphat:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eldoret
 
Former CDC director on Ebola outbreak: ‘I suspect this is gonna become a very significant pandemic’

BY ASHLEIGH FIELDS -
05/21/26 10:55 AM ET​

Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield said Wednesday that he suspects the new Ebola outbreak in Africa will spread across three new countries and become a “very significant pandemic.”

…“I suspect this is gonna become a very significant pandemic, probably going to leak into Tanzania, leak into Southern Sudan, maybe leak into Rwanda,” Redfield said during an appearance on NewsNation’s “Elizabeth Vargas Reports.”
​So, it’s gonna be very disruptive,” he added.​


This is an outbreak right now that is really a significant outbreak that’s of significant public health international concern, partially because what you said, it wasn’t recognized very quickly. I’m not sure why,” Redfield told anchor Elizabeth Vargas.

..“Normally when we have these Ebola outbreaks, and I had three of them when I was CDC director, all of which were in the DRC, normally we recognize them when we have five, ten cases, you know, at most,” he continued. “This one really wasn’t picked up until there was over 100 cases.”…
:tiphat: Not much else

​https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5889058-robert-redfield-cdc-ebola-outbreak-pandemic/
 
:tiphat:
FoxNews
JUST IN: Secretary of State Marco Rubio slams the World Health Organization for "miserably" failing during the COVID-19 pandemic and covering for China, warning that the U.S. is aggressively restricting travel to block a surging Ebola outbreak from reaching American soil. "The World Health Organization has unfortunately not done well around the world. I think they failed miserably during COVID. They covered for China.” “Our number one objective on Ebola, before anything else... has to be we can't have it affect the United States. We can't have Ebola cases coming here."
0:08 / 1:19
video
:tiphat:
https://x.com/FoxNews/status/2057483769368506405
 
Treyfish said:
Former CDC director on Ebola outbreak: ‘I suspect this is gonna become a very significant pandemic’

BY ASHLEIGH FIELDS -
05/21/26 10:55 AM ET​

Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield said Wednesday that he suspects the new Ebola outbreak in Africa will spread across three new countries and become a “very significant pandemic.”

…“I suspect this is gonna become a very significant pandemic, probably going to leak into Tanzania, leak into Southern Sudan, maybe leak into Rwanda,” Redfield said during an appearance on NewsNation’s “Elizabeth Vargas Reports.”
​So, it’s gonna be very disruptive,” he added.​


This is an outbreak right now that is really a significant outbreak that’s of significant public health international concern, partially because what you said, it wasn’t recognized very quickly. I’m not sure why,” Redfield told anchor Elizabeth Vargas.

..“Normally when we have these Ebola outbreaks, and I had three of them when I was CDC director, all of which were in the DRC, normally we recognize them when we have five, ten cases, you know, at most,” he continued. “This one really wasn’t picked up until there was over 100 cases.”…
:tiphat: Not much else

​https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5889058-robert-redfield-cdc-ebola-outbreak-pandemic/
Click to expand...

I don't want to debate with someone who was the former head of the CDC but "pandemic" is used for disease outbreaks that grow beyond one region. In fact, the phrase "pandemic" is used to describe a global spread. More than 1 region - more than one continent.

So if he thinks this situation could evolve into a global pandemic then he should have explained how he sees further spread outside the region of Central Africa. And a potential time frame.
 
Source: https://nltimes.nl/2026/05/22/dutch-hospital-radboudumc-admits-patient-possibly-infected-ebola-virus


Friday, 22 May 2026 - 16:30
Dutch hospital RadboudUMC admits patient possibly infected with Ebola virus

This story will be updated.

The Radboud university medical center in Nijmegen admitted a patient on Thursday evening who is potentially infected with the Ebola virus, a spokesperson for both the hospital and Dutch public health institute RIVM confirmed to several media outlets on Friday. The patient's condition was not disclosed. For now, the issue is fully precautionary, as the chance of a suspected infection remains low, ANP reported.

Test results are expected on Saturday, though the incubation period between exposure to the Ebola virus and a positive test can take up to 24 days, according to the World Health Organization. It has not been disclosed if the individual is a Dutch citizen, if they reside in the Netherlands, nor if contact tracing was underway.

The patient's links to a current Ebola outbreak in Africa is being investigated. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health referred questions to the RIVM and the hospital, Radboudumc, news wire ANP reported.

The teaching hospital admitted the patient into a ward specifically equipped for handling cases of serious infectious disease. The national center coordinating the handling of highly infectious diseases asked the hospital to keep the patient in the ward while the patient's infection status remains unknown.​..
 
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