Democratic Republic of the Congo & Uganda Ebola Bundibugyo Virus Outbreak Situation Report #6
- Emergency Manager's Weekly Report
- 13 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Global Highlights: Â
·      As of June 2nd, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported the following:
o  116 suspected cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
o  There are 359 confirmed cases (344 in the DRC & 15 in Uganda).
o  A total of 61 confirmed deaths (60 in the DRC & 1 in Uganda).
o  Eight people have recovered (6 in the DRC and 2 in Uganda).
·      On June 3rd, the WHO Director-General identified several challenges, which are
o  Testing: WHOs key priorities is to scale up laboratory and diagnostic capacity, to reduce delays in case confirmation and support faster response decisions.
o  Contract tracing in the DRC: Only about 45% of contacts have been followed up, and to get ahead of the outbreak that number needs to be above 90%.
o  Blanket travel restrictions imposed by some countries are disrupting supply chains and hindering the response. WHO recommends exit screening at airports, ports and border crossings.
o  Community mistrust: Some community leaders believe Ebola isn’t real. WHO and their partners are continuing to work to build trust in affected communities.
o  Lack of vaccines or therapeutics
·      WHOs risk assessment as of June 3rd remains unchanged:
o  National Level: Very High.
o  Regional Level: High.
o  Global Level: Low.
·      Treatment and Vaccines Update:
o  On May 28th, WHO recommended several candidate treatments and vaccines. For treatment of cases, they recommended three candidate therapeutics for evaluation in research (i.e. clinical trials) among confirmed BVD cases. They are also evaluating three post-exposure prophylaxis among contacts of confirmed and probable cases.
o  On May 29th, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI)  launched an urgent Call for Proposals seeking to accelerate early‑stage vaccine candidates.
·      On May 31s, the Africa Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (Africa CDC) received emergency diagnostics, therapeutics and medical supplies from the Government of India.
·      The Africa CDC on June 2nd received a second shipment of Ebola medical countermeasures to support the DRC and Uganda response.
·      The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is urging governments and partners to strengthen cross-border coordination:
o  Reactive border closures can reduce visibility of population movements, undermining health screening, surveillance, contact tracing and early detection efforts.
o  Data from IOM’s Flow Monitoring Registry at key formal and informal crossing points (including Cyanika, Busunga, Bunagana, Mpondwe, Goli, Vurra, Busanza and Ntoroko) shows that cross-border mobility continues despite restrictions, including through informal routes, reinforcing the need for data-driven and coordinated response measures.
·      To enable critical humanitarian movement and response in affected areas, the humanitarian community requires reliable and timely communication, coordination, and data reporting. To facilitate these efforts, the following actions have been taken:
o  Emergency telecommunications has now merged with the Logistics Cluster and is known as the Logistics and Telecommunications Cluster, which is aligning its response as a backbone enabling service for the broader humanitarian community.
o  Telecommunications support planning is under way to extend reliable connectivity beyond urban centers, ensuring uninterrupted communications for responders operating across dispersed and underserved outbreak-affected areas.
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Democratic Republic of the Congo Highlights:
·      WHO reported on June 1st, that 15 epidemiologists, trained 100 frontline health workers on disease surveillance and alert management, and distributed 20,000 surveillance tools to strengthen case detection and contact tracing in the DRC.
·      The DRC Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene and Social Security reported on June 2nd, a joint mission with REMED visited the Nyakunde health zone in Ituri:
o  The objective was to prepare the training of community relays and to assess the situation in the Sota health area.
o  The mission made it possible to listen to the population's concerns, to evaluate their level of knowledge about Ebola Virus Disease, and to strengthen communication on the risks associated with this disease.
·      On May 28th, the DRC government received 20 million Pounds from the United Kingdom to support the emergency response to this outbreak.
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Uganda Highlights:
·      On June 2nd, the Uganda Ministry of Health (MOH) is tracking 688 contacts under follow-up.
·      The Uganda Red Cross Society on May 31st advised the public to take the following actions:
o  Don’t spread rumors.
o  Don’t discriminate against survivors.
o  Do not share unverified information.
·      The Uganda MOH on June 1st advised the public to ignore rumors claiming that schools will soon be closed or that another lockdown is coming.
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United States:
·      On May 28th, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has expanded public health entry screening for Ebola to include John F. Kennedy International Airport.
·      Enhanced public health entry screening are already conducted at:
o  Washington Dulles International Airport
o  Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
o  George Bush Intercontinental Airport
·      The U.S. State Department on May 28th also announced that the United States, Mexico, and Canada have announced aligned public health travel measures for individuals coming from African regions at greatest risk from the Ebola virus:
o  This coordinated approach aims to protect citizens and the millions of visitors, fans, athletes, and tourists expected during the FIFA World Cup, while maintaining travel and commerce across our borders.
·      On June 3rd, the State Department established a process for U.S. citizens who request assistance due to possible exposure or transportation from the DRC, South Sudan, or Uganda. Based on a CDC assessment the State Department may offer the following assistance:
o  If the person is not a high-risk of exposure: U.S. embassy staff will reach out to the U.S. citizen and may offer assistance to include a loan, if available, or coordination with local governments to facilitate the U.S. citizen's departure. Â
o  High-risk of Ebola exposure but U.S. citizen is asymptomatic: State Department and U.S. embassy staff may arrange transportation to a facility in Kenya for a 21-day quarantine period from the last date of Ebola exposure. U.S. citizens who become symptomatic during quarantine may be transported via specialized aeromedical evacuation for appropriate treatment. Â
o  High-risk of Ebola exposure and U.S. citizen is symptomatic or has tested positive for Ebola: State Department and U.S. embassy staff may arrange specialized aeromedical evacuation to a designated safe location for appropriate treatment.
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Sources:
·      WHO Ebola outbreak - DRC 2026 Website
·      WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing on the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak – 3 June 2026
·      DRC, Ebola BVD Outbreak Emergency Response - Concept of Operations (ConOPs) - Last updated: 01/06/2026
·      Ebola Response Must Cross Borders Faster Than Virus, IOM Warns
·      World Health Organization Twitter PageÂ
·      WHO African Region Twitter PageÂ
·      Democratic Republic of the Congo Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene and Social Security Twitter Page
·      Uganda Ministry of Health Twitter Page
·      Uganda Red Cross Society Twitter PageÂ
·      Africa CDC Twitter Page
·      CDC Twitter Page
·      U.S State Department Bureau of Consular Affairs Twitter Page
·      Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations Twitter PageÂ
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Resources
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CDC Health Advisory: Ebola Disease Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda
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ECDC, Ebola disease