Congo Ebola Outbreak Detected in 22 Health Zones as Testing Backlogs Cleared

Congo’s Ebola outbreak has spread to 22 health zones across three eastern provinces as of June 1, 2026, up from 13 zones reported just days earlier, according to government data cited by Japan Times. Health officials are clearing testing backlogs and reclassifying hundreds of suspected cases, complicating efforts to distinguish new infections from improved detection.

The Bundibugyo strain is driving the outbreak.

This strain has no approved vaccine or treatment and has also infected nine people in neighboring Uganda. The epidemic is unfolding in areas already strained by armed conflict, mass displacement and weak health infrastructure. Health authorities are struggling to trace contacts and determine the true scale of transmission.

The rapidly growing epidemic has become one of the most complex Ebola outbreaks in years. Health workers were present at a new Ebola treatment center in Bunia on Sunday, Japan Times reported, citing AFP-JIJI photographs.