The announcement was made on May 20, 2026, by WHO adviser Dr. Vasee Moorthy.
He explained that two vaccines are currently being tested to fight the outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo Ebola virus strain.
The first known victim of this Ebola outbreak died in the city of Bunia in Ituri Province on April 24, 2026. However, it was only confirmed six weeks later that the person had died from the virus.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that more than 600 people have been infected with Ebola, while around 139 have died from the disease.
He made the remarks during a press conference in Geneva at the 79th World Health Assembly taking place from May 18-23, 2026.
Tedros added that 51 additional Ebola cases had been identified in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, while two more cases were reported in Uganda.
The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola was first discovered in Uganda between 2007 and 2008, infecting 149 people and killing 37. In 2012, it resurfaced in Isiro, DR Congo, where 57 people were infected and 29 died.
On May 17, 2026, WHO warned that the re-emergence of Ebola in DR Congo and Uganda had become a matter of global concern.
