What to know about the 2026 Ebola outbreak

Ebola disease has broken out in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda in recent days, constituting a public health emergency of international concern according to the World Health Organization.

As of May 26, 1,077 suspected cases and 246 suspected deaths to go along with 128 confirmed cases and 18 confirmed deaths caused by Bundibugyo virus have been reported in the Ituri Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo across at least three health zones, including Bunia, Rwampara and Mongbwalu. Health zone refers to the primary operational units within the Congolese healthcare system, managed by district teams that oversee healthcare activities. Due to the long-standing gaps in the Congolese health system (including case detection, confirmation and reporting), it is difficult to estimate the actual size of the outbreak.

The rapid spread of the disease before its detection has created significant interest in the epidemic, as well as curiosity about ongoing containment.

As a leader in global health and communicable disease with a significant presence in the DRC, Tulane University’s Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine has multiple experts among its faculty capable of answering questions the public might have about the current Ebola outbreak or Ebola in general.

We spoke with Dr. Julie Hernandez, associate professor, and Dr. Janna Wisniewski, assistant professor, both in the International Health and Sustainable Development Department, and Dr. Lina Moses, associate professor in Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, to gain a better understanding of what’s going on and what to expect going forward.

Read on for their insight.

What are the differences between this outbreak and previous Ebola outbreaks?

This is the 17th recorded Ebola outbreak in DRC since the virus was first identified in 1976 (the previous outbreak ended in December of 2025). What makes this outbreak different is that it was detected a bit late, likely due to two things. First, the locus of the surge is in Ituri, which is very difficult to access. A number of militias that are controlling parts of this heavily forested area. Even under the best of circumstances, it is difficult to conduct disease detection in such a remote, militarized region. 

Another factor hindering detection is the standard of healthcare. People in the region don't necessarily go to the hospital, and some have an aversion to it. The cost can be prohibitive. The closure of USAID and U.S. defunding of the World Health Organization have exacerbated the situation. Healthcare workers who might have been trained or supported by USAID or by similar programs to handle disease detection or simply be present at the local hospitals are no longer being paid. The global detection systems have been weakened, leading to an outbreak of 300 cases before it was recognized.

While vaccines have been developed for Ebola, they are not very effective against the Bundibugyo strain of the virus. New vaccines will need to be developed to combat this strain in the future.

Does this part of the world lend itself more towards spread or containment?

Despite the difficulty in travel to and from this part of the world, Ituri still has a lot of population movement, partially because there are refugees and people being displaced from ongoing conflict in the neighboring provinces. It’s a part of the world where three countries -- South Sudan, Uganda, and the DRC – come together in a tight geographic area, and people move around those borders, quickly making this outbreak international. 

Yet, the DRC is a very large country, and most of the larger cities are a significant distance from the location of the current outbreak. The country is the size of Western Europe. For comparison, travelling from a major city like Kinshasa to the affected area in Ituri is roughly like going from Paris to Istanbul with no directly accessible roads. 

Ebola is often compared to a wildfire. A spark can create a large problem for a small area. It may be deadly for nearly everyone in the immediate area, but it kills quickly, which hampers its spread and often limits its reach.

The Western African Ebola epidemic in 2014 was a different scenario, because the outbreak started in large metropolises. The death toll (over 11,000 people) was the largest in history. This current outbreak, thus far, has remained contained to a less populous area that is hard to travel to.

What should people keep in mind about protecting themselves?

Ebola is very different from COVID-19. First, it is not a respiratory disease. It is very difficult to catch requiring direct contact with bodily fluids. As a result, healthcare workers or family members are typically most at risk. The disease is also contagious only when someone is symptomatic.

A challenge with Ebola is that initially it resembles the flu, which also looks like malaria. Fever is the main symptom, which means it doesn’t present as specifically Ebola from the outset.

It’s generally much more contagious in later stages, including after death. Knowing the host has died, the virus becomes aggressive leading to a spike in transmission.

Sitting next to someone with Ebola on a plane does not automatically lead to transmission. The risk for health care workers is very real, however, and that is the population most in need of protective measures.