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Following African CDC reports of 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths from Ebola virus disease in North Eastern DRC, our experts from the School of Public Health share their insights in this Q&A. 

What is Ebola, how is it spread, what are the symptoms and how is it treated?

Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a viral haemorrhagic fever caused by species of orthoebolaviruses (here referred to as EBOV). EVD has caused over 40 documented , with an average . Outbreaks are typically linked to zoonotic spillover (animal-to-human transmission) followed by human-to-human transmission via close contact with an infected individual’s bodily fluids (either directly or through shared bedding/other surfaces). 

There are four distinct species of orthoebolavirus known to affect humans: Zaire, Sudan, Bundibugyo and Tai Forest. Zaire is the most well-documented due to its involvement in major outbreaks (e.g. the 2013-16 West African EVD outbreak). The Sudan species has caused nine outbreaks since 1976, most recently in January 2025. Bundibugyo has only caused two  outbreaks in 2007 and 2012, and Tai Forest is only known to have infected a single person in . As a result, the epidemiology of the non-Zaire species, particularly the Bundibugyo and Tai Forest species, is . 

The symptoms of Ebola infection can be sudden and include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache and sore throat followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, and internal and external bleeding. Treatment options are limited: only two monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapeutics are licensed for use, and both are specific to Zaire, with none available for other . Without therapeutic options, treatment is limited to supportive care, such as rehydration and the stabilisation of oxygen and blood pressure. 

What do we know so far about this outbreak? What strain is causing the outbreak?

As of 15th May 2026, (i.e. individuals with symptoms compatible with Ebola but who have not been confirmed by laboratory testing), and 65 deaths, mainly in Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones in North Eastern DRC, not far from the Ugandan border. Of those suspected cases, 13 were confirmed by diagnostic testing, of whom 4 died. 

Genomic analyses are underway to confirm the species causing the outbreak with results expected in the next 24 hours. The initial Africa CDC report mentions that the results of 20 samples tested (of which 13 were positive for Ebola) suggest this is not the Zaire species. 

How is an outbreak of Ebola contained? What are the challenges here?

Non-pharmaceutical interventions are cornerstones of Ebola outbreak response. include community engagement, active case finding and isolation, contact tracing, and safe burials, as Ebola is very deadly (about half of infected people die) and particularly infectious around the time of death. 

Deploying these non-pharmaceutical interventions is feasible in theory, but can become very resource-intensive and challenging as soon as case numbers are large, and especially in large urban centres, highly connected areas, or areas impacted by conflict. Additionally, late detection of an outbreak can have catastrophic consequences (e.g. in ).

A global stockpile of a licensed Ebola vaccine exists and can be delivered in response to an outbreak ( or individuals living in an affected area), but this only protects from infection with Ebola Zaire (the species which historically has caused most and the largest outbreaks). There are currently no vaccines licensed for other species. 

So if it is confirmed there have already been 246 cases and 65 deaths, this would suggest ongoing transmission has occurred for several weeks, and the outbreak has been detected very late, which is concerning. In addition, if it is confirmed that this is not the Zaire species, this could be potentially challenging to control in the absence of a vaccine. 

Additional challenges specific to this outbreak include high mobility and connectivity in this region and conflicts which have historically made Ebola responses more challenging (read more and ). 

Is this a significant outbreak compared to previous outbreaks?

To date, there have been involving Ebola viruses (excluding laboratory-related transmission), 25 of which were caused by the Zaire species.

If the current outbreak size is confirmed at 246 cases, it would rank as the 7th largest outbreak across all species. If the causative virus is not the Zaire species, it would represent the second largest non-Zaire outbreak on record. By comparison, the largest recorded Sudan virus disease outbreak occurred in Uganda in 2000, with 425 reported cases and 224 deaths.

This is particularly significant because it suggests an unusually high number of suspected cases were identified before the outbreak was officially declared. This indicates that the outbreak has likely gone undetected for several weeks or even months, which can make standard control measures, such as contact tracing, considerably more difficult to implement effectively, especially in a setting which already faces other challenges such as conflict.

Is there risk to the rest of DRC or other nearby countries?

Yes, as stated by the African CDC in their on 15 May 2026, there is risk to both the rest of the DRC and nearby countries of Uganda and South Sudan due to their geographical proximity and high connectivity within the affected regions. Bunia and Rwampara are urban centres associated with high population movement, while Mongwalu is a mining town potentially well connected to the rest of the country. The region is highly unstable due to ongoing conflict which makes outbreak detection and response challenging. 

Is there any risk to the UK?

The risk to the UK is very low; in the 2013-16 West African Ebola outbreak there were only a handful of cases exported to Europe despite almost 30,000 cases, and these were mostly international healthcare workers repatriated after being infected. There is no documented sustained spread of Ebola outside of Africa (no more than 1-2 generations of infection and mostly among healthcare workers).

Additional information

There is limited official information released at the moment. The evidence emerging in the next few days, including the characterisation of the species (expected in the next day or so) will be critical to better understand the epidemiological risk associated with this event. 

But if the case number is confirmed to be 246 cases and if the species is confirmed to not be Zaire, this would suggest transmission has been ongoing for a while, and it would already make this outbreak the second largest ever for a non-Zaire Ebola species. In the context of an urban and well-connected area, and in the absence of a vaccine for that species, this would be concerning news.

Experts contributing to this Q&A: 

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