Rare Bundibugyo Ebola Strain Spreads in Eastern DR Congo and Uganda

Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.

An outbreak of Ebola caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain has affected eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and neighboring Uganda, with no approved treatments or vaccines currently available. Three candidate vaccines are under development. Congolese health authorities report 515 confirmed cases and 91 deaths across Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu provinces, with about 95% of cases in Ituri. Uganda has reported 19 confirmed cases, including two deaths and one probable death.

Damien Mama, interim Humanitarian Coordinator in the DRC, arrived in Bunia to assess and coordinate the government-led response. The focus includes case management, operating treatment centers, providing essential medicines and supplies, community engagement, risk communication, and strengthened surveillance, according to UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq. The response faces challenges such as gaps in contact tracing, limited treatment capacity, shortages of essential medicines, and the need to scale up laboratory capacity for timely case detection and confirmation.

The outbreak was officially declared on 15 May and classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a public health emergency of international concern, though it is not considered a pandemic threat. Symptoms include sudden high fever, headache, weakness, vomiting, and diarrhea. The crisis comes amid a severe humanitarian situation in the DRC, where about 15 million people need humanitarian assistance and over half of the 3.4 million displaced people are in affected areas, complicating response efforts.

In response, WHO and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) have launched a coordinated plan to raise $518 million to support African countries in preparedness, rapid detection, and response to the outbreak. WHO has also provided Ebola preparedness equipment and supplies to Zambia, including personal protective equipment, laboratory reagents, infection prevention materials, and specimen transportation.