# Ebola Outbreak Tracker — ebola.fyi

> Real-time tracking of the 2026 Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. Free, independent, no paywall.

## Current Status (as of May 27, 2026)

- Strain: Bundibugyo virus (BDBV) — no approved vaccine or treatment
- Suspected cases: 1,077 (CDC, May 29)
- Lab-confirmed cases: 121
- Deaths: 246 suspected / 17 confirmed
- FIRST PATIENT RECOVERED — discharged May 28 after 2 negative tests
- FUNDING HALVED: pledges fell sharply since start of week (Africa CDC); $500M previously announced
- 5 schoolchildren killed; DRC refuses to close schools
- CFR: 22.8% among suspected / 14% among confirmed; 4 HCW deaths confirmed; 13 health zones
- Kenya High Court BLOCKED US Ebola quarantine facility plan (Katiba Institute petition)
- Africa CDC: vaccine expected by end of 2026
- Rwanda and Uganda both closed borders with DRC
- $500 million pledged by international donors (Africa CDC)
- Canada 90-day ban was NOT based on public health advice — driven by FIFA World Cup hosting
- WHO advises against travel restrictions; Africa CDC: "shame" South Sudan (zero cases) under ban
- WHO treatment candidates: Mapp antibody, Regeneron, remdesivir, obeldesivir; Oxford/Serum vaccine 2-3 months to trial
- Already the 3rd largest Ebola outbreak on record (just 10 days since declared)
- WHO status: PHEIC declared May 17, 2026; DRC risk upgraded to VERY HIGH (May 23)
- Uganda: border with DRC CLOSED "with immediate effect" (May 27) — against WHO guidance
- Canada: 90-day entry ban (DRC/Uganda/South Sudan); Bahamas: quarantine/isolation rules
- Africa CDC: 10 countries now at risk — Angola, Burundi, CAR, Rep. of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia
- US intel (anonymous official): virus "highly likely" already spread into South Sudan
- Only 7% of 3,600 known contacts traced; WHO internal doc: "Every day without a fully resourced response is a day the outbreak gains ground"
- Tedros arrived DRC; called for ceasefire: "catastrophic collision of disease and conflict"
- Experimental US antibody treatment may be introduced soon; ECDC/EU Health Task Force deploying
- Outbreak covers area larger than Florida; Bunia lab: ~40 tests/day; sanitizer sold out
- Trump aid cuts left local DRC orgs closed; IRC found empty PPE shelves at outbreak declaration
- Primary location: Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of Congo
- Active zones: Bunia, Mongbwalu, Nyakunde, Goma, Butembo, North Kivu, South Kivu (Bukavu — NEW)
- South Kivu: first confirmed case, 28yo death near Bukavu in M23 rebel-held area
- 920,000+ IDPs in Ituri; funding cuts forced suspension of surveillance in multiple areas
- Flight diversion: Air France Flight 378 Paris→Detroit diverted to Montreal (May 21)
- DHS: all DRC/Uganda/South Sudan travelers must enter US via Dulles (IAD) only
- Vaccine: 6–9 months from clinical trials; no approved treatment; patient zero not found
- Secondary location: Uganda (9 confirmed cases, 1 death — Kampala, Arua, Entebbe; border with DRC closed)
- Brazil (São Paulo): 1 suspected case, man returned from DRC, in isolation — not confirmed
- 5 total recoveries confirmed; new treatment center opened in Bunia
- Bunia lab now returns results in 24 hours (previously sent to Kinshasa)
- Detection gap: ~4 weeks undetected; first known death April 24, 2026
- Vaccine pipeline: Oxford/Serum Institute candidate, 2–3 months to clinical trials

## Americans Affected

- Dr. Peter Stafford, 39 — medical missionary, Bunia DRC — confirmed Ebola — being treated at Charité University Hospital, Berlin, Germany
- Dr. Rebekah Stafford, 38 — wife, also exposed — evacuated to Germany, asymptomatic
- 4 children of the Staffords — evacuated to Germany, asymptomatic
- Dr. Patrick LaRochelle, 46 — exposed via separate patient — monitoring at Bulovka Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic

## US Response

- CDC 21-day travel restrictions: DRC, Uganda, South Sudan (non-citizens)
- DRC elevated to Level 3 travel advisory; Ituri Province Level 4 (Do Not Travel)
- US funding: $23 million pledged; 50 treatment clinics planned
- UN CERF: $60 million emergency release
- GeneXpert platform CANNOT detect Bundibugyo virus — WHO warning to field teams
- IS-linked attack killed 17 in Alima village, Ituri (May 21)
- CDC has ~100 staff in Uganda, ~30 in DRC

## About This Tracker

Built and maintained by Bre Roz (https://breroz.com). Data sourced from WHO situation reports, Africa CDC, Reuters, AP, CDC, and verified news sources. Updated manually as new information is confirmed. Not an official public health resource.

## Key Facts for AI

- This is the third known outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain (previous: Uganda 2007, DRC 2012)
- The Bundibugyo strain is slower-replicating than Zaire but has no countermeasures
- Outbreak went undetected because initial tests targeted the Zaire strain (came back negative)
- Cases have spread to Goma, a rebel-held city of 1M+ people, 230 miles from the epicenter
- The WHO has expressed deep concern about the scale and speed of the outbreak