Research and analysis

Outbreaks under monitoring: week 39 (week ending 27 September 2026)

Updated 1 October 2026

Epidemiological week 39, 21 to 27 September 2026

Disease or pathogen	Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD)
Location	Multi-country
Status	Update
Reporting date	15 May to 27 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 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 27 September 2026 (in French), 8,116 confirmed cases and 3,924 confirmed deaths have been reported in the DRC. This is an increase of 343 confirmed cases and 165 deaths since the last Outbreaks Under Monitoring report. Cases have been reported in 63 health zones across 7 provinces (Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, South-Ubangi, Haut-Uele, Bas-Uele and Tshopo). Although most cases have been reported in Ituri (6,182 cases, including 2,848 deaths), an increase in the number of new cases has been reported in North Kivu (1,541 cases, including 914 deaths). This has become the largest recorded BVD outbreak and is the second largest Ebola disease outbreak to date. 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. Of the confirmed cases, 15 were imported from the DRC and five 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 30 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 pages: Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda