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The Ebola Outbreak’s Central Mystery: Where Did This Virus Come From?

An Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus is affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. The WHO declared the situation a public health emergency of international concern on May 17, 2026. Response efforts are hindered by a lack of virus samples and vaccines specific to this species.

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Confirmed cases in the DRC have exceeded 1,000 since the outbreak began.

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  1. Bundibugyo Virus Outbreak Hits DRC and Uganda

    An Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus is affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. The WHO declared the situation a public health emergency of international concern on May 17, 2026. Response efforts are hindered by a lack of virus samples and vaccines specific to this species.

    What's confirmed:

    • The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus.
    • The WHO Director-General declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on 17 May 2026.
    • Transmission in the DRC is concentrated in South Kivu, North Kivu, and Ituri provinces.
    • The DRC and Uganda officially declared the outbreak on 15 May 2026.
    • More than 1,000 cases of Ebola have been confirmed in the DRC in 2026.
    • Existing Ebola treatments were certified for the Zaire ebolavirus rather than the Bundibugyo species.

    Still unconfirmed:

    • Early infections may have occurred in February 2026 in Mongbwalu.
    • The outbreak has reached 1,114 confirmed cases and 279 deaths.
    • An imported case from the DRC was reported in France.
    • This is the third-largest epidemic since the disease was identified 50 years ago.
    confidence 90%