Trending Now - Ebola Outbreak in Congo Raises Concerns Over Wild Meat Consumption

WHO:

AP News - Dr. Tolbert Geewleh Nyenswah of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

AP News - Dr. Misaki Wayengera, a microbiologist advising Uganda’s Ministry of Health on epidemics.

AP News - Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, founder of the Uganda-based Conservation Through Public Health group.

AP News - Vendors at the Masina Market in Kinshasa, Congo.

WHAT:

AP News - The Congolese government has confirmed more than 1,000 suspected cases of Ebola, with at least 220 deaths.

AP News - The current outbreak in eastern Congo is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a rare type of Ebola with no approved medicines or vaccines.

AP News - The yearly extraction rate of wild meat from the Congo Basin is estimated at 4.5 million tons.

AP News - The deadliest Ebola outbreak occurred in West Africa between 2014 and 2016, infecting an estimated 28,000 people and killing more than 11,300.

WHERE:

AP News - The outbreak is occurring in eastern Congo, specifically in the capital Kinshasa and the Masina Market.

AP News - The Congo Basin, an expansive forested ecosystem sometimes called Earth’s second lung.

WHEN:

AP News - The outbreak was declared on May 15.

WHY:

AP News - The consumption of wild meat is a key part of the culture in Congo and Central and West Africa, despite the health risks associated with zoonotic diseases like Ebola.

AP News - Experts indicate that outbreaks occur due to the interface between humans, animals, and the environment, particularly through hunting and processing infected animals.

HOW:

AP News - Ebola is believed to start with the virus spilling over into humans from infected animals, such as fruit bats, often during the handling and consumption of wild meat.

AP News - The virus spreads through close contact with sick or deceased patients’ bodily fluids, including sweat, blood, feces, or vomit.

(UPDATED May 30, 2026 09:34 UTC)

The Congolese government has confirmed over 1,000 suspected cases of Ebola, with at least 220 deaths reported in the ongoing outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus, which currently has no approved treatments or vaccines. The outbreak, declared on May 15, is centered in eastern Congo, particularly in Kinshasa and the Masina Market, where the consumption of wild meat plays a significant cultural role despite the associated health risks. Experts highlight that the virus likely spreads to humans from infected animals, such as fruit bats, during the handling and consumption of wild meat, and it can transmit through close contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals.