All articles tagged with #bundibugyo virus
The Democratic Republic of the Congo reports 600 Ebola deaths and 1,759 confirmed cases, with 51 new cases and 20 deaths in the last 24 hours. Frontline health workers in Ituri are threatening to strike over delayed pay, potentially slowing the outbreak response, while two Kisangani cases await confirmation; the Bundibugyo strain has no approved vaccine.
A WHO-backed trial in Bunia, Ituri province, Congo, launches to test remdesivir, the MBP134 antibody, or both for Bundibugyo Ebola patients, with 28‑day survival tracking; the first participant is enrolled and the study is expected to last 3–6 months, potentially expanding to high‑risk groups later. The outbreak has diagnosed over 1,400 cases and at least 438 deaths, amid mistrust, overcrowded treatment centers, and security challenges that complicate the response.
The World Health Organization launches a trial of two therapeutics for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in the DRC, with the first patient enrolled as the outbreak in the DRC (and Uganda) continues. There have been about 1,406 confirmed DRC cases and 438 deaths as of June 30, with 20 Ugandan cases and one French case by July 1. There are no approved vaccines or treatments for this strain yet; the study is coordinated by DRC’s INRB, Belgium’s Institute of Tropical Medicine, and the University of Oxford, aiming to expand safe treatment options.
The Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak continues in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, with 915 confirmed cases and 234 deaths overall (896 cases/232 deaths in DRC; 19 cases/2 deaths in Uganda as of mid‑June 2026; one probable Uganda death). The DRC outbreak is concentrated in Ituri, with about 6,367 contacts identified and followed. Uganda reports imported and healthcare-associated cases but no community transmission to date. There are no vaccines or specific treatments; control relies on rapid case identification, isolation, contact tracing, safe burials, IPC, and community engagement. WHO assesses very high risk in the DRC and high risk in Uganda, and advocates sustained cross-border preparedness without travel restrictions.
72 new Ebola cases were reported in 24 hours in Congo, raising the total to 782 cases and 181 deaths in a Bundibugyo-virus outbreak centered in Ituri. Weak contact tracing, insecurity, and funding gaps are hampering the response, while the WHO and Africa CDC expand testing, tracing, and treatment as cases spread to North and South Kivu and across the Uganda border.
DRC’s Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak has risen to 676 confirmed cases with 136 deaths, while Uganda reports 19 confirmed cases (two deaths) and one probable death, for a combined total of 695 cases and 138 deaths. Ituri remains the epicenter and the outbreak is spreading to additional health zones; about 5,768 contacts have been identified with 4,141 under follow-up. Uganda has had no new cases in six days, and transmission is largely linked to importations and healthcare settings. WHO and partners are coordinating a continental response and evaluating candidate therapeutics for trials.
A Bundibugyo virus disease (Ebola) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is expanding and has spread to Uganda, with 534 confirmed cases and 93 deaths reported as of 6 June 2026. Cross-border transmission, healthcare worker infections, and security-related access challenges are complicating response efforts. Africa CDC and WHO launched a US$518 million continental preparedness and response plan, and authorities are ramping up testing, contact tracing, infection prevention and control, safe burials, and community engagement. WHO: risk is very high in DRC and high in Uganda; travel restrictions are not advised; there are no licensed vaccines or specific treatments, so containment relies on rapid case finding, isolation, and cross-border collaboration.
Amid a Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo, critics say U.S. policy cuts — including dismantling USAID and withdrawing from WHO — have weakened frontline health responses, while Washington publicly blames the WHO. Experts warn the delay and difficulty of outbreak control stem from fragile health systems and ongoing conflict, not WHO failures. Cases in Congo have fallen from over 1,000 suspected to 116 as testing backlogs are resolved, with at least 62 deaths in DRC and one in Uganda. The U.S. has floated treating Americans in Kenya rather than Congo, sparking further debate about global health strategy.
The International Rescue Committee warns the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is likely far worse than official figures, with delayed detection and only about 20% of contacts currently being traced. There are over 1,000 suspected cases and 200+ suspected deaths, with 282 confirmed cases and 42 deaths; the virus may have been spreading undetected for months and could be crossing borders to Uganda, Burundi, or South Sudan. Diagnostics shortages and testing backlogs slow confirmation, while people avoid health facilities, risking further spread. The IRC urges urgent funding to boost tracing, testing, treatment, and community engagement. There is no approved vaccine for the Bundibugyo Ebola strain yet, though CEPI is fast-tracking three vaccine candidates from IAVI, Moderna, and Oxford.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo and the World Health Organization announced a joint, high-level response to an Ebola outbreak caused by Bundibugyo virus, with intensified surveillance, testing, and patient care across Ituri and adjacent provinces; they emphasized community engagement, the absence of a licensed vaccine or specific treatment, and ongoing plans for rapid vaccine and treatment trials, while appealing for sustained international support and cross-border coordination to rapidly and equitably deliver life-saving interventions.
Brazil is monitoring two suspected Ebola cases in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro after initial tests were negative; a 37-year-old man from the DRC remains isolated as a precaution, and a Ugandan patient is malaria-positive and under investigation. Separately, the WHO notes recoveries from the Bundibugyo virus in Congo as the outbreak persists with hundreds of suspected cases and dozens of confirmed infections, spurring renewed calls for expanded testing, aid, and community involvement.
The Bundibugyo Ebola strain is a rare form with a 2–21 day incubation and historically 30–50% fatality; there are no approved treatments or vaccines yet. The WHO has prioritized three therapies for trials (antibody treatments from Mapp Biopharmaceutical and Regeneron, and remdesivir) and is advancing two vaccine candidates—rVSV Bundibugyo and ChAdOx1 Bundibugyo—toward clinical testing in the coming months. In the meantime, public health efforts focus on surveillance, rapid testing and diagnosis, contact tracing, isolation, infection prevention, community engagement, and safe burials to halt transmission.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reports an ongoing Bundibugyo-virus Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu) and Uganda, with 105 confirmed cases (10 deaths) and 906 suspected (223 deaths) in DRC as of 25 May, and 7 confirmed cases in Uganda (including 1 death); two suspected cases in Italy linked to Uganda were ruled out; EU/EEA risk is very low and EU monitoring continues with ongoing updates and a threat assessment forthcoming.
Ebola in DR Congo’s Ituri province has risen to roughly 750 cases and 177 deaths, making it the third-largest outbreak on record and spreading rapidly; WHO has raised national risk to very high as authorities race to scale detection, isolation, and contact tracing amid conflict and weak health systems.
In DR Congo’s Ituri region, an Ebola outbreak went undetected for weeks due to reporting breakdowns and weak health systems in a conflict area, with 536 suspected cases and at least 139 deaths reported; the virus spread to Goma, Kinshasa, and across the border to Uganda before containment measures took hold. Lab tests failed to detect the Bundibugjo strain because of limited testing and refrigeration issues, highlighting gaps in diagnostics, surveillance, and funding for preparedness. The WHO has declared a public health emergency of international concern as international partners ramp up surveillance, vaccines, and response efforts.