Overview
- As of July 18, 2026 the DRC government reported 2,181 confirmed cases and 864 deaths, with deaths rising sharply in July and officials warning of undercounting.
- Researchers call this a 'walking Ebola' outbreak because Bundibugyo causes milder early symptoms that let infected people stay mobile and spread the virus before seeking care.
- The World Health Organization says over 90 percent of confirmed deaths occur before patients reach treatment and four in five new infections appear outside known chains, hampering contact tracing.
- There is no approved vaccine or specific therapy for Bundibugyo, but clinical trials of remdesivir and the monoclonal antibody MBP134 have started while treatment centers are overcrowded and diagnoses delayed.
- The outbreak is centered in Ituri but has reached five provinces and spilled into Uganda, and experts warn continued circulation raises the chance of viral change; the DRC has a long history of Ebola and Bundibugyo was previously seen only in small outbreaks.