France confirms first Ebola case linked to Congo outbreak

France confirmed its first Ebola case linked to the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The virus is Bundibugyo ebolavirus, a strain with no vaccine or specific treatment, though candidate products are being tested. The outbreak was declared in the DRC on 15 May 2026, making it the country’s 17th Ebola outbreak since the virus was identified in 1976.

WHO declared the event a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 17 May, and Africa CDC declared a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security on 18 May. The outbreak began in Ituri Province in eastern DRC, where insecurity, a humanitarian crisis, remoteness, dense population and heavy movement across borders have complicated the response.

On 16 May, WHO said Ituri had eight laboratory-confirmed cases, 246 suspected cases and 80 suspected deaths. By 6 June, WHO counted 515 confirmed cases and 91 deaths in the DRC. By 10 June, that total had risen to 676 confirmed cases and 136 deaths. WHO’s latest update on 17 June put the DRC at 896 confirmed cases and 232 deaths, while Uganda had 19 confirmed cases, including two deaths and one probable death.

Cross-border spread has already pushed the outbreak beyond the DRC into Uganda. WHO has warned that tens of thousands of contacts may not be fully traced, leaving room for Ebola to move through border communities and crowded trading routes.

WHO has scaled up surveillance, contact tracing, clinical preparedness, supply delivery, community engagement and cross-border preparedness, and it has joined Africa CDC on a continental response plan. In France, the health ministry’s crisis centre and CORRUSS system are part of preparedness for international health threats.