The ongoing Ebola outbreak ravaging the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighboring Uganda was triggered by a fresh animal-to-human transmission event rather than by variants linked to previous outbreaks, according to a study published in the medical journal Aljazeera.
Study Confirms New Animal Transmission Caused Ebola Outbreak
Researchers from the DRC, Uganda, Belgium, and other countries analyzed virus samples from 22 patients across the two countries. The findings revealed that the outbreak strain is a previously unseen variant of the rare Bundibugyo species of the virus and is genetically distinct from previous Bundibugyo strains seen in outbreaks in 2007 and 2012, as reported by Emirates247.com. While the specific animal source has not been identified, experts noted that Ebola viruses are known to periodically jump from infected animals to humans.
Infectious diseases doctor Krutika Kuppalli explained that the genomic data point to a fresh zoonotic spillover event where the virus crossed independently from an animal reservoir into a person, rather than stemming from the continued circulation of a past human outbreak. Following that initial spillover, the crisis has been driven predominantly by human-to-human transmission.
Rapid Spread and High Death Toll
The outbreak was officially declared on May 15, 2026, though sequencing indicates it began months earlier in February. Government figures cited by AP News show the outbreak has recorded more than 4,500 cases and over 2,100 deaths. This death toll has been reached almost three times faster than the 2014–2016 outbreak in West Africa, making it the fastest-moving Ebola outbreak on record.
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the outbreak is on track to eclipse the West African crisis. The WHO’s director for health emergency alert and response operations, Dr. Abdirahman Mahamud, stated that moderate projections have the outbreak peaking within six months, while a more severe scenario could stretch between nine and 12 months. The WHO has declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
Challenges on the Ground and Response Efforts
The virus has impacted six out of 26 provinces in the DRC after a death was recently recorded in Bas-Uele province. Health authorities report that between 60% and 70% of new cases are recorded outside of monitored contacts, and the World Health Organization regional director for Africa, Dr. Mohamed Yakub Janabi, stated that health officials are chasing the virus because it remains ahead of them.
Response efforts face severe operational hurdles, including armed violence, difficult road conditions, community mistrust, and strikes by unpaid health workers. For instance, staff at the Nizi Treatment Center in Ituri province went on strike over three months of unpaid salaries, leading to its temporary closure.
There are currently no approved vaccines or treatments specifically for the Bundibugyo virus. However, clinical trials for two potential treatments and two candidate vaccines designed for the Bundibugyo strain began in Ituri. Additionally, Africa CDC supports utilizing the Ervebo vaccine—which is authorized for the Zaire Ebola strain—due to potential cross-protection in the gray-area crisis.
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