Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus, Democratic Republic of the Congo & Uganda

Key Points:

• The Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has rapidly expanded, with 676 confirmed cases and 136 deaths reported as of 10 June 2026, primarily concentrated in Ituri Province; Uganda has reported 19 confirmed cases and two deaths, with no new cases in the past six days.
• The outbreak in the DRC is complicated by conflict and population displacement, which hinder response efforts and surveillance, while Uganda’s cases are linked to imported infections and secondary transmission among healthcare workers and contacts, with no community transmission documented.
• Public health responses in both countries involve comprehensive measures including case identification, contact tracing, safe burials, and community engagement, alongside clinical trials of candidate therapeutics such as MBP134, REGN3479, and obeldesivir under ethical review.
• WHO assesses the outbreak risk as very high in the DRC due to ongoing transmission and geographic spread, high in Uganda due to cross-border transmission, and high for neighboring countries because of population mobility, while the risk to the broader African region and globally remains low.
• WHO advises against travel or trade restrictions with the DRC and Uganda, emphasizing coordinated outbreak control, enhanced cross-border collaboration, and sustained surveillance, with ongoing technical advisory group involvement to evaluate vaccines and therapeutics.