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Ebola Infections Climb, Could Take Year To Contain, Health Officials Say
- June 18, 2026
- Ellyn Vohnoutka HealthDay Reporter
A growing Ebola outbreak in Central and East Africa could become the worst on record if infections are not brought under control soon, health officials warned this week.
The outbreak could last as long as a year and sicken thousands more people if current transmission rates continue, officials said Tuesday at an emergency conference of African leaders.
Most cases have been concentrated in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where distrust of authorities and ongoing violence have made it harder for health workers to reach affected communities, reports The New York Times.
"If we don't stop the outbreak very soon, it will be worse than what we had in West Africa and eastern DRC," said Dr. Jean Kaseya, director general of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He spoke at the emergency conference.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) puts the toll of the current outbreak at 837 confirmed cases and 196 deaths in the DRC as of June 15, with 19 more cases and two deaths in neighboring Uganda as of June 16.
By comparison, the deadliest Ebola outbreak on record was in West Africa between 2014 and 2016 and killed more than 11,000 people.
The virus behind the current outbreak, known as Bundibugyo, has no approved vaccine or targeted treatment. Care is limited to supporting patients through symptoms such as fever, severe weakness, abdominal pain and internal bleeding.
This is now the largest outbreak ever caused by the Bundibugyo strain, according to the CDC. It's one of four viruses that cause Ebola infection in people.
Containment has been slowed by more than the virus itself. Early testing failed to identify the strain, delaying the response, and armed conflict has displaced millions of people, making infections hard to trace, reports The Times.
Fear and misinformation have kept many people away from care.
"People don't want to go to the hospital," Alex Lock, a communications coordinator with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies based in Paris, told The Times. He explained that some residents wrongly believe treatment centers are injecting the disease into patients.
Burial customs have added friction, because the virus spreads through contact with the blood or bodily fluids of infected people, including those who have recently died. To ease tensions, aid groups have begun using body bags with clear windows so that families can see a loved one's face before burial, according to The Times.
For people in the United States, the risk remains low, the CDC says. The agency has confirmed no U.S. cases tied to the outbreak and advises no change in daily behavior for Americans who are not traveling to affected regions.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on the current Ebola outbreak.
SOURCES: The New York Times, June 16, 2026; U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, June 16, 2026
