Ebola disease outbreak 2026: How MSF is responding

Ebola disease is a rare but deadly viral illness that can kill up to 90 percent of those infected. It can be difficult to diagnose because the early symptoms, like fever and sore throat, are common. To confirm an Ebola diagnosis, special laboratory tests need to be carried out.

Ebola is highly infectious and can be transmitted by both animals and humans. Human-to-human transmission happens through close contact with blood, secretions, or other bodily fluids of infected people. This is why people have to wear full personal protective equipment to prevent catching or spreading the virus. 

There are different viruses that cause Ebola disease, named after where they were discovered: Bundibugyo, Ivory Coast, Reston, Sudan, and Ebola (also known as Zaire). While there is an approved treatment and a preventive vaccine for Zaire, there is no treatment or vaccine for the Bundibugyo virus currently spreading in DRC.

Learn more about the virus linked to this Ebola disease outbreak >

Beyond patient care and treatment, MSF’s response is built on other key pillars that help limit transmission, strengthen local capacity, and improve access to care. These pillars include:

Infection prevention and control measures

Infection prevention and control measures are essential to prevent Ebola transmission, particularly in health care settings. These measures include the safe and correct use of PPE, safe isolation of patients with suspected cases, rigorous hand hygiene practices, and the safe management of medical waste and instruments. MSF provides training on infection prevention and control at health facilities and provides PPE and other essential supplies.

Water, sanitation, and hygiene

Water, sanitation, and hygiene teams play a vital role in preventing the spread of the virus by ensuring safe water supply and carrying out cleaning and disinfection activities in health care facilities, ambulances, and patients’ homes. They also work with partners to support safe and dignified burials, preparing bodies to reduce the risk of transmission.

Community engagement 

Community engagement is critical to building trust and reducing transmission. MSF works closely with community leaders and local organizations to share accurate information about the disease, address people’s concerns, and advise people on when and how to seek care. Since the start of the outbreak, MSF teams have carried out regular community engagement activities to foster trust and maintain dialogue with affected communities. For example, at the Elikiya Ebola treatment center in Ituri, community leaders are invited each week to visit the facility, ask questions, and engage directly with MSF teams.

Disease surveillance

Disease surveillance supports the rapid identification of cases to help stop the spread of Ebola. MSF supports disease surveillance efforts through contact tracing, case investigation, alert management, and strengthening lab capacity. MSF’s on-site laboratory at Elikiya Ebola treatment center processes an average of 40 samples each day, delivering results in as little as one hour. Before this laboratory was established, obtaining results could take two to three days.

Where we're responding in DR Congo

MSF has launched a response in DRC, mobilizing teams of medical, logistical, and support staff with experience working in previous Ebola disease outbreaks. We currently work in five provinces, all in the east of the country, including major hotspots like Ituri and North Kivu provinces.

In addition to our activities in DRC, we rehabilitated a 32-bed Ebola treatment center in Kampala, Uganda, in response to reported cases earlier in the outbreak. We are also working with the Ministry of Health in Kenya following the announcement of the country's first confirmed case in October.

Ituri province

• In Mongbwalu, MSF manages a 65-bed Ebola treatment center and conducts outreach and community engagement activities, provides ambulance referrals, and decontaminates homes.
• In Komanda, MSF is managing a 16-bed Ebola treatment center, extendable to 26 beds based on needs. The team is currently working to transfer activities in Komanda to national and local partners.
• In Niania, MSF supports an Ebola treatment center and is constructing a 26-bed center and an eight-bed transit center.
• In Bambo, our rapid response team works in outbreak sites, providing clinical case management, epidemiological surveillance, community engagement, and decontamination. 
• In Fataki, we manage a 20-bed Ebola isolation unit and support interventions for confirmed Ebola cases, including decontaminating homes, carrying out ambulance referrals, and conducting community engagement. 
• In Drodro and Angumu, we have established isolation units in health facilities and displacement sites.

North Kivu province

• In Goma, admissions to MSF’s 40-bed Ebola treatment center in Munigi are currently suspended due to the small number of active cases. The facility remains on standby to resume admissions within 24 hours. MSF is also supporting isolation and patient care at Kyeshero General Referral Hospital.
• In Butembo, we run a 30-bed treatment center near Kitatumba Hospital and isolation units at Université Catholique de Graben Hospital and the General Hospital of Musienene. We also carry out community engagement and health promotion activities and support epidemiological surveillance.
• In Beni, MSF teams run a 32-bed Ebola treatment center and support four health centers with primary health care and isolation beds. We also conduct community engagement and health promotion and support surveillance, contact tracing, and the transport of samples.
• In Rutshuru, Kibirizi, and Bambu, MSF has set up isolation units in hospitals and health centers we support, and we are integrating Ebola preparedness into existing services for trauma, malnutrition, pediatrics, and sexual and reproductive health care to enable the safe continuity of care. 

South Kivu province

• In Bukavu and Lwiro, MSF supports two Ebola treatment centers.
• In Minova, Bunyakiri, Bitalé, Numbi, and Nyangezi, our teams have set up isolation units and are reinforcing preparedness measures in facilities we support.

Tshopo province

• In Kisangani, MSF teams support local health structures by providing training on Ebola management and infection prevention and control. We also operate a 12-bed isolation unit at Hôpital du Cinquantenaire, and we are building a 20-bed Ebola treatment center. Our teams carry out community engagement and health promotion activities.

Haut-Uélé province

• MSF teams support an existing treatment center in Isiro, engage in infection prevention and control activities, train staff, and carry out community outreach.

Unlike most Ebola disease outbreaks that have occurred in DRC, this one is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment. This is the third detected outbreak involving Bundibugyo, following outbreaks in Uganda in 2007–2008 and in DRC in 2012.

Learn more about Bundibugyo virus and why it makes this Ebola outbreak different >

The two monoclonal antibody treatments that were approved following clinical trials conducted in DRC between 2018 and 2020 are specific to the Zaire virus and are not effective or approved for Bundibugyo virus. While there are antiviral drugs and monoclonal antibody candidates for this virus, their efficacy has yet to be proven in clinical trials.

In the absence of targeted treatment, patient care relies primarily on symptom management and support to improve patients’ chances of survival. This involves fluid replacement, oxygen therapy, and monitoring of blood and cardiac parameters. 

MSF, along with other medical organizations involved in the outbreak response, is actively supporting the scientific PARTNERS clinical trial, which evaluates the safety and efficacy of the remdesivir and MBP134 therapies for this virus.

The virus

This Ebola disease outbreak involves the Bundibugyo virus, for which there are no approved vaccines or specific treatments. This virus is also particularly difficult to diagnose due to limited testing capacity.  

Conflict and displacement

The outbreak is taking place in northeastern provinces where decades of conflict and repeated waves of displacement have complicated the identification, follow-up, and isolation of cases. The insecurity, armed checkpoints, and shifting front lines can also slow down the transport of test samples to laboratories and impede access to communities. The terrain — with its mountains, rainforests, and rivers — also makes it difficult to reach communities and distribute supplies.

Testing and equipment

Timely testing is critical for surveillance, understanding transmission trends, and guiding the response. However, the local health system urgently needs laboratories, diagnostic equipment, and resources to safely conduct these tests. This includes both permanent laboratory infrastructure and context-adapted solutions such as mobile and portable laboratories that can reach remote or underserved communities. Pharmaceutical manufacturers must also urgently scale up the availability of diagnostic tests and other essential tools.

Significant, concurrent health needs

Ebola is not the only health emergency in eastern DRC, and the response to the outbreak cannot come at the expense of other lifesaving health care needs. People should not suffer from preventable or treatable diseases because assistance and attention are redirected elsewhere.

One of the key lessons from previous Ebola disease outbreaks is that maintaining access to routine health care is as important as controlling the outbreak itself. That’s why ensuring safe and continuous access to other essential health care services remains a priority in MSF’s response. Pregnant women still need maternal care, children still need vaccinations, and patients still need treatment for common illnesses. 

Malaria, cholera, and measles continue to cause significant illness and death in DRC, while malnutrition, mainly among children, remains a growing concern in several areas where MSF works. Access to sexual and gender-based violence care also remains crucial.