The World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern on May 17. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the outbreak meets PHEIC criteria but does not qualify as a pandemic emergency under international health regulations.
Laboratory analysis confirmed Bundibugyo virus disease in eight of 13 blood samples from Ituri Province on May 15. Unlike other Ebola strains, Bundibugyo has no licensed vaccine or approved specific treatments, though early supportive care improves survival. Past outbreaks of this species have had case fatality rates between 30 and 50 percent.
By mid-May, WHO reported more than 800 suspected cases and over 180 deaths in Ituri across at least three health zones including Bunia, Rwampara and Mongbwalu. Two confirmed cases were also detected in Kampala, Uganda, among travelers from Congo. Both were admitted to intensive care units.
WHO convened an emergency committee on May 19 and issued temporary recommendations for cross-border preparedness. Scientists are preparing a clinical trial of two experimental treatments for submission to regulators in both countries. The outbreak was detected weeks after it began spreading, complicating early containment efforts.
On May 5, WHO was alerted to a high-mortality outbreak of unknown illness in Mongbwalu Health Zone. The DRC Ministry of Public Health officially declared the country’s 17th Ebola disease outbreak on May 15. Neighboring countries sharing land borders with Congo are considered at high risk due to population mobility and trade linkages.
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Sources:
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01660-z