Ebola Outbreak: Current Situation

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Key points

  • CDC is responding to an outbreak of Ebola disease in remote areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
  • To date, no cases of Ebola disease have been confirmed in the United States because of this outbreak.
  • The overall risk to the American public and travelers remains low.
Micrograph image of orthoebolavirus virion

Current situation

Risk to the United States

To date, no Ebola cases associated with this outbreak have been reported in the United States, and the risk to the general public remains low.

Key updates

  • On May 18, CDC and DHS announced enhanced travel screening, entry restrictions, and public health measures to prevent Ebola disease from entering the United States amid outbreaks in East and Central Africa.
    • Affected air passengers from DRC, South Sudan, and Uganda will have their air travel re-routed to arrive at Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD), Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL), George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), or John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). Airlines will work directly with affected travelers to rebook flights.
    • To date, South Sudan has not reported any cases, but it is included in these efforts due to shared borders with affected countries.
  • On May 17, an American who was exposed as part of work caring for patients in DRC tested positive for Ebola disease caused by infection with the Bundibugyo (Bun-dee-BOO-joh) virus. The patient was transported to Germany for treatment and care and is currently in stable condition. In addition to being a shorter flight time, Germany has previous experience caring for Ebola patients.
    • High-risk contacts associated with this exposure have been moved to Germany and the Czech Republic. They remain asymptomatic.

Latest data

Reported cases

This is a rapidly evolving situation, and case counts are subject to change.

The DRC and Uganda Ministries of Health report the following:

DRC

(As of June 4)

  • 452 confirmed cases
  • 82 confirmed deaths
  • NA - probable cases
  • NA - probable deaths
  • NA - suspected cases*
  • NA - suspected deaths*

Uganda

(As of June 5)

  • 19 confirmed cases
  • 2 confirmed deaths
  • 1 probable case
  • 1 probable death

*On May 29, the DRC Ministry of Health updated their total suspect case count to remove suspected cases that have been ruled out after investigation and additionally suspected deaths that are pending the results of ongoing investigations.

What to know about the outbreak

In early May, a hospital in Bunia Health Zone in northeastern DRC identified a cluster of severe illnesses affecting healthcare workers. Initial samples tested in DRC were negative for Ebola virus, but later 8 out of 13 samples tested positive, and 5 were inconclusive. Using genetic fingerprinting, the illnesses were identified as Bundibugyo (Bun-dee-BOO-joh) virus, one of the 4 types of orthoebolaviruses that cause Ebola disease in people.

There is no vaccine for Bundibugyo virus, and treatment consists of supportive care. Patients have experienced classic Ebola disease symptoms like fever, headache, vomiting, severe weakness, abdominal pain, nosebleeds, and vomiting blood. In DRC, most cases to date have been in people between 20 and 39 years old, and two-thirds have been in female patients.

There have been 2 previous outbreaks of Bundibugyo virus, one in Uganda (2007) and one in DRC (2012), with death rates of 25% and 50%, respectively.

Keep Reading History of Ebola Outbreaks

CDC response

CDC is working internationally and domestically to respond to this outbreak and prevent Ebola from entering the United States.

Keep Reading Ebola Outbreak: What CDC is Doing

If you were recently in affected areas

CDC has guidance for people who recently have been in areas affected by this Ebola outbreak, including what to do if you feel sick after travel.

Information for Travelers Returning from Ebola-Affected Areas
What Travelers Need to Know About Returning to the United States from DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan
Ebola: What to Do After Travel
Learn what signs and symptoms to watch for if you traveled to an area with an Ebola outbreak.

Map of impacted areas

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Map highlighting areas affected by the 2026 Ebola outbreak as of May 4, 2026
To date, the Ebola disease outbreak in DRC has been confirmed in Ituri, Nord-Kivu, and Sud-Kivu provinces. Cases related to the DRC outbreak also have been reported in Uganda's capital of Kampala.

This map highlights the provinces of Ituri, Nord-Kivu, and Sud-Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and areas (health zones) within those provinces that have confirmed cases of Ebola disease. The map also highlights one district in Kampala, Uganda with confirmed cases.

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Content Source:
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)