U.S. citizen working in Congo tests positive for Ebola; outbreak still spreading largely undetected, says WHO official
A U.S. citizen in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has tested positive for the Bundibugyo Ebola virus. WHO officials warn that the outbreak is likely significantly larger than official data suggests, with many cases occurring outside of known contact lists.
Why it matters
The potential underreporting of Ebola cases poses a significant public health risk for containment efforts in the region.
A U.S. citizen working for a humanitarian organization in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has tested positive for the Bundibugyo Ebola virus, the U.S. CDC said on Friday, July 10, 2026.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working with the patient’s employing organisation, other federal agencies and partners in the DRC to help prevent further transmission and identify high-risk contacts, it said.
Meanwhile, four out of every five new Ebola cases in parts of Democratic Republic of Congo have no known link to existing patients, a senior World Health Organization official said, warning that the true scale of the outbreak could be two to four times larger than official data suggest.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in