US citizen tests positive for Ebola in DRC amid outbreak

A U.S. citizen working for a humanitarian organization in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has tested positive for the Ebola virus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on July 10, 2026. The agency stated it is working with the individual's employer, other U.S. agencies, and Congolese partners to prevent further transmission and identify close contacts.

The case is part of a rapidly expanding outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which the World Health Organization has declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. According to the latest government data, the outbreak has infected at least 1,792 people in the DRC and killed 625, making it the largest recorded outbreak of this particular virus. Cases have also been confirmed in neighboring Uganda.

Health officials warn the true scale of the outbreak could be far larger. A senior WHO official said that in the heart of the outbreak in Bunia, Ituri province, roughly 80 percent of new confirmed cases have no known link to existing patients, indicating widespread, undetected community transmission. Modeling suggests the actual outbreak size could be two to four times the number of...