DRC Confirmed Cases Surge to ~225 — Fastest Lab-Confirmation Rate Since Outbreak Began

By 30 May 2026, DRC Ministry of Health figures compiled in real-time by Al Jazeera, ECDC, and WHO's situation tracking page showed approximately 225 lab-confirmed cases in DRC — a near-doubling from 125 confirmed on May 29. The acceleration reflects both expanded laboratory capacity (three CDC-supported mobile BSL-3 labs now operational across Ituri, bringing total daily testing capacity to ~240 samples/day) and genuine outbreak acceleration driven by the uncaptured Mongbwalu patient cluster. WHO Situation Report tracking indicated approximately 1,028 suspected DRC cases as of May 30, with suspected deaths exceeding 220 in DRC alone. Uganda's confirmed count rose to 9 — two new confirmed cases identified in Kampala contacts of previously known DRC-linked cases, both rapidly isolated. CDC confirmed U.S. airport Ebola screening at Dulles, Atlanta, IAH, and JFK remains in effect, having processed over 11,000 passengers from DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan screening routes since the May 18 activation of the rerouting protocol. Contact tracing coverage in DRC remained below 50%, with the Mongbwalu cluster's 25+ escaped patients still representing an uncaptured transmission nucleus. The WHO expert panel framework for ChAdOx1 BDBV clinical trials — following the May 28 Ervebo ring vaccination halt — was reported to be finalized within 3 weeks, with trial sites proposed at Bunia and Kampala.