DR Congo Ebola Epidemic Reaches Sixth Province as Health Officials Warn of Unprecedented Spread

Volunteers with the DRC Red Cross previously carried the body of an Ebola virus victim in Ituri Province on June 8, 2026. The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has now expanded to a sixth province following a confirmed fatality in the previously untouched region of Bas-Uele, according to the head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Jean Kaseya announced on Thursday that a male patient passed away in Buta, the capital of Bas-Uele province, after having traveled from Haut-Uele province. "If we do not stop this outbreak, it will last more than a year and will be the largest in the world," Kaseya cautioned, adding that such a scenario would heighten the danger of international transmission.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that this strain is spreading at a velocity exceeding any prior incident. Originating in the northeastern Ituri province, the current epidemic has also confirmed infections in North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele, and Tshopo provinces. Government data indicates that the virus has claimed 2,128 lives out of 4,566 documented cases.

The rare Bundibugyo strain driving this outbreak currently lacks any approved treatments or vaccines. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated on Wednesday that, at its current trajectory, the health crisis is tracking to exceed the deadliest outbreak on record from over a decade ago, which resulted in more than 11,000 deaths.

Health authorities noted this week that while the outbreak was officially declared on May 15, the virus had actually begun circulating as early as February. The WHO aims to reverse the viral spread within a three-month window, though officials caution the outbreak will not fully conclude by that time.

Ebola remains a rare yet exceptionally contagious disease transmitted through bodily fluids and contaminated surfaces or materials, including clothing and bedding. The resulting illness is severe and frequently fatal.

Clinical trials evaluating two potential treatments for this specific strain of Ebola commenced last month in Ituri. Furthermore, the WHO announced on Wednesday that two newly developed vaccines targeting the Bundibugyo virus are undergoing human trials for the first time. The United Nations health agency also intends to evaluate whether a pre-existing Ebola vaccine might offer protection against this latest strain, following encouraging results from animal studies.