Congo’s fastest-growing Ebola outbreak reaches a sixth province

Key Points:

• Congo’s Ebola outbreak has expanded to a sixth province, Bas-Uele, following the death of a motorcycle-taxi driver who traveled from Haut-Uele province, raising concerns about further virus exposure due to attempts to forcibly retrieve his body.
• The outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, has killed over 2,100 people out of more than 4,500 cases and is spreading faster than the 2014-16 West Africa Ebola epidemic, with no approved vaccines or treatments currently available.
• Response efforts are hindered by unpaid health worker strikes, low contact tracing effectiveness, misinformation, and security challenges in conflict-affected regions, complicating containment measures.
• Clinical trials for two potential treatments and two new vaccines specific to the Bundibugyo virus have begun, while the Africa CDC supports use of an existing Ebola vaccine authorized for another strain, citing some cross-protection evidence.
• The outbreak is concentrated mainly in Ituri province, with cases reported near the South Sudan border, raising concerns about regional spread amid difficult access and population movements due to conflict and mining activities.