As of June 3, 2026, the Ebola disease outbreak caused by Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda has produced 344 confirmed cases and 60 confirmed deaths, with 23 new cases reported in a single 24-hour period on June 1. The WHO declared this a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17 — its highest emergency classification — reflecting the pace of spread, the geographic range across two countries, and the complicating factor of a concurrent FIFA World Cup bringing millions of international visitors to North America just 11 days after that declaration.
The U.S. State Department's June 3, 2026, response update confirmed that protective measures and international cooperation are in place, but the scientific assessment of how those measures perform against the Bundibugyo virus's specific outbreak characteristics warrants close examination.
