According to World Health Organization (WHO) report, a suspected pneumonic plague outbreak was reported in 2 health zones of Haut-Uele District, Oriental Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). An outbreak of plague was reported in Ituri District of Oriental Province in June 2006.

Ituri District is known to be one of the most active areas for plague worldwide and reports approximately 1,000 cases of plague each year. Plague, an infectious disease of animals and humans, is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis and is present in wild rodent populations in rural areas of the Americas, Africa, and Asia.

Generally, the risk of plague infection for travelers is low, especially for persons staying in hotels in cities, unless they are exposed to an infected flea or animal or to a pneumonic plague patient during an outbreak.