The number of suspected deaths from the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has increased to 177, while the risk of Ebola spreading to other African countries is rising.
On 23 May 2026, Uganda confirmed three additional Ebola infections, while the Red Cross revealed that three volunteers died in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), amid warnings that this deadly virus could spread to several other African countries.
Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Ebola virus outbreak, a serious infectious disease, an international public health emergency. So far, 177 suspected deaths have occurred in the DRC, with more than 750 suspected cases.
On Saturday, the African Union's health agency warned that several other African countries beyond the DRC and Uganda are at risk of being affected by the Ebola virus.
"We have 10 countries at risk," said Jean Kaseya, director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), listing Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Zambia.
Kaseya explained that "high population movement and regional instability" are factors contributing to the disease's spread.
The current outbreak center is in eastern DRC, which is experiencing war and conflict. The virus was first detected in Ituri province before spreading to South Kivu province.
The newly confirmed cases in Uganda raise the country's total to five since the disease was detected in Uganda and the DRC on 15 May, with one death reported.
The Ministry of Health stated that the new patients in Uganda include a driver, a healthcare worker, and a woman who traveled from the Democratic Republic of Congo; all are currently alive.
On Friday, the WHO raised the Ebola risk level in the Democratic Republic of Congo to the highest category: "very high," while assessing the Central African region's risk as "high," and the global risk remains "low."
Experts predict that this latest outbreak, caused by the less common Bundibugyo Ebola strain, may have been quietly spreading for some time. Currently, there are no officially approved vaccines or treatments available.
/cna