Research and analysis

Outbreaks under monitoring: week 36 (week ending 6 September 2026)

Updated 10 September 2026

The following signal relates to an ongoing outbreak, with data as of 7 September 2026

Disease or pathogen	Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD)
Location	Multi-country
Status	Update
Reporting date	15 May to 7 September 2026
Summary	On 15 May 2026, an outbreak of Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus was declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda. On 17 May 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General determined that the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. The outbreak in DRC remains a public health emergency of international concern as of the latest WHO Emergency Committee meeting, held on 18 August 2026. As of 7 September 2026, 6,757 confirmed cases and 3,267 confirmed deaths have been reported in the DRC. This is an increase of 571 confirmed cases and 260 deaths since the last Outbreaks Under Monitoring report. Cases have been reported in 61 health zones across 6 provinces (Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele, Bas-Uele and Tshopo). The highest number of cases continue to be reported in Ituri (5,406 cases, including 2,450 deaths). This has become the largest recorded BVD outbreak and is the second largest Ebola disease outbreak. According to WHO, different transmission trends have been observed across the affected provinces in the DRC. Although Ituri province continues to report the highest daily incidence, case numbers have declined since peaking in mid-August. North Kivu province is experiencing a sustained increase in transmission and the highest incidence since the start of the outbreak, while transmission remains sustained in Haut-Uele. In Tshopo and Bas-Uele provinces, low but intermittent transmission continues to be reported. No recent evidence of transmission has been reported in South Kivu province. On 27 August 2026, WHO and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention declared the end of the outbreak in Uganda following no new cases since the last case was discharged from care on 16 July 2026. A total of 20 confirmed cases (including 2 deaths) were reported in Uganda. The last case was reported on 21 June 2026. Of the confirmed cases, 15 were imported from the DRC and 5 were secondary cases among contacts. This is the 17th recorded Ebola disease outbreak in the DRC since the virus was first identified in 1976. The last reported outbreak, in Kasai Province, ended in December 2025. Bundibugyo virus was first identified in 2007 in Bundibugyo district, western Uganda. A second outbreak caused by Bundibugyo virus was reported in DRC in 2012. WHO continues to assess the risk of this event as very high in the DRC, high for countries with land borders adjoining the DRC, and low for the remaining countries in the African region, and globally. As of 7 September 2026, no imported cases associated with this outbreak have been reported in the UK. Previous experience from the 2014 to 2016 West Africa outbreak suggests a limited importation risk, with only one travel-related case reaching the UK outside of medical evacuations. The risk of the current outbreak to the UK population is assessed as low.
Further information	Ebola: overview, history, origins and transmission Ebola virus disease: clinical management and guidance Ebola and Marburg haemorrhagic fevers: outbreaks and case locations UKHSA blog: What is Ebola and how does it spread? NaTHNaC country information page: Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda