Overview
- The outbreak was officially declared on May 15 after infections that began in an Ituri gold‑mining hub spread along travel and mining routes to more than two dozen health zones and into neighbouring Uganda.
- Health authorities report roughly 488–515 confirmed cases in the DRC with about 82–91 deaths and about 19 confirmed cases in Uganda as testing and surveillance have expanded.
- The rare Bundibugyo strain has no licensed vaccine or approved treatment, so candidate vaccines and experimental therapies are being fast‑tracked while care remains largely supportive.
- Response operations are under strain: contact tracing is following about half of known contacts, laboratories face reagent shortages and backlogs, treatment beds and protective gear are limited, and insecurity and community mistrust are blocking teams.
- The WHO has declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern and launched a $518 million six‑month plan, and US CDC models warn the outbreak could rival 2014 unless rapid, massive surge support is deployed.