Tedros, speaking after a visit to the outbreak area in eastern DRC, said the outbreak "had a big head start" but that the government-led response was catching up. AP separately reported the same remarks and case figures. The outbreak was confirmed in May and is caused by Bundibugyo virus, one of the Ebola virus species known to cause human outbreaks.
The operational picture is mixed. Tedros said the backlog of suspected cases had been reduced to 116 from more than 1,000 the previous week as laboratories confirmed or ruled out suspected infections. He also said Uganda had 15 confirmed cases and one confirmed death, including a Congolese resident who had travelled to the United Arab Emirates and then Uganda.
Table: Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak indicators
| Indicator | Reported figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Confirmed DRC cases | 344 | WHO Director-General, 3 June |
| Confirmed DRC deaths | 60 | WHO Director-General, 3 June |
| DRC health zones with confirmed cases | 24 | WHO Director-General, 3 June |
| Suspected cases remaining | 116 | WHO Director-General, 3 June |
| Uganda confirmed cases | 15 | WHO Director-General, 3 June |
| Contacts followed up in DRC | About 45% | WHO Director-General, 3 June |
| Target contact follow-up | Above 90% | WHO Director-General, 3 June |
Source: WHO Director-General's media briefing remarks, 3 June 2026.
The biggest gap Tedros identified was contact tracing, the process of identifying and monitoring people who may have been exposed to an infected person. He said only about 45% of contacts in DRC had been followed up, while responders needed to raise that above 90% to get ahead of the outbreak. Insecurity, displacement and mobile populations make that work harder, he said.
WHO's DRC situation page says the outbreak is occurring in a challenging context marked by humanitarian crisis, insecurity, a remote and densely populated area, and high population and trade movements. WHO's African regional office says the outbreak is unfolding against a complex security and humanitarian backdrop, with cross-border spread to Uganda and high mobility through mining, trade and refugee movements.
The treatment and vaccine limits are specific to this virus. WHO says there is no licensed vaccine or specific treatment for Bundibugyo virus disease, although candidate countermeasures are being assessed. That differs from Ebola Zaire, for which a licensed vaccine and monoclonal antibody treatments exist. For Bundibugyo, WHO AFRO says response strategies rely heavily on supportive care, early case detection, infection prevention and control, contact tracing, safe burials and community engagement.