Overview
- The World Health Organization reported on July 7 that the outbreak has 1,759 confirmed cases and 600 deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- A clinical trial of two treatments began on July 2 and the WHO has granted emergency use authorization for the first molecular diagnostic test for the Bundibugyo strain.
- The epidemic is centered in Ituri and has spread to North Kivu and South Kivu, where areas controlled by the M23 armed group limit surveillance and patient access.
- Treatment centers are operating at about 90% capacity and Ugandan authorities have recorded 20 confirmed cases and two deaths linked to cross‑border transmission.
- The Bundibugyo variant is antigenically distinct from the Zaïre strain so existing vaccines do not protect, increasing the chance of wider regional spread and prolonged humanitarian need.