Ugandan town at the heart of Bundibugyo District
A Bundibugyo-strain Ebola outbreak has produced more than 500 confirmed cases across eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and at least 19 confirmed cases in Uganda. WHO has declared a public health emergency of international concern; authorities are scaling up testing, treatment centres and cross-border preparedness while contact tracing and supplies remain insufficient.
Eastern Congo faces one of the fastest Ebola outbreaks on record. The Bundibugyo strain has no approved vaccine or treatment. Health workers describe chronic PPE shortages and rising infections. Women, who are the primary caregivers at home, face heightened risk and fear as frontline staff struggle to manage the outbreak.
The Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo is being driven by the Bundibugyo virus. It has declared a public health emergency; more than 550 cases have been confirmed, with 101 deaths and 19 recoveries. Health workers face attacks, local scepticism, and armed conflict that hinder containment. Cases are concentrated in Ituri, with spread to North Kivu and South Kivu and across the border into Uganda. Vaccines and treatments remain unavailable for this strain.
A Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak is driving rapid development of vaccines and antibody therapies. Doses of MBP134 are being used for compassionate use and clinical trials, while several vaccine candidates are advancing toward human testing. Trials face challenges from battlefield-like conditions in eastern Congo and Uganda.
Health workers are facing a worsening Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo, with Ituri accounting for the majority of cases. Attacks on clinics and burial teams have disrupted containment efforts, while Bundibugyo strain shows no approved treatment or vaccine. Hundreds have been infected and deaths exceed two hundred as authorities warn of a growing regional risk.
Health authorities have reported at least 1,759 confirmed Ebola cases and about 600 deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo since mid-May, driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain. The World Health Organization has enrolled the first patient in a trial testing MBP134 and remdesivir; treatment centres are strained and insecurity and funding shortfalls are hindering response.
The Bundibugyo-strain Ebola outbreak in the DR Congo has intensified, with cases rising and deaths increasing. Health workers are striking over unpaid salaries, while international partners warn the official figures may undercount the true toll. Trials for treatments have begun, and vaccination efforts remain limited by the absence of a vaccine for this strain.
Multiple vaccines and therapies are advancing as researchers test protection against Bundibugyo Ebola. Oxford and Serum Institute-led programs are moving into early human trials, while regional bodies prepare for broader studies amid rising case numbers in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring Uganda.
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Bundibugyo-ebola outbreak has intensified. More than 2,973 confirmed cases and 1,309 deaths have been reported. Health workers are on strike over two months of unpaid bonuses, disrupting care at Elikya Ebola Treatment Centre in Bunia and complicating the response as cases rise and insecurity persists.
Uganda and Africa CDC have formally urged the United States to remove travel restrictions tied to the Ebola outbreak. Uganda reports no new cases since July 16, with the last patient discharged, while the DRC faces a worsening Bundibugyo outbreak. Regional partners warn that border controls complicate trade and health work, as WHO warns the outbreak could be larger than detected.