… The outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola was announced on May 15, though officials have since said it went undetected for weeks, leaving health authorities behind the curve and struggling to bring it under control. …
… The outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola was announced on May 15, though officials have since said it went undetected for weeks, leaving health authorities struggling to bring it under control. …
… The incident underscores mistrust and resistance that continue to hamper response efforts as officials try to control the spread of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. …
… The outbreak, which has so far infected a suspected 1,100 people and resulted in 42 deaths, involves a rare strain of the virus called Bundibugyo for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments. …
… It took place in the town of Rwampara, which has been hit hard by the latest Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is no approved vaccine or treatment. …
… Preparations will take place elsewhere after an outbreak of a rare type of Ebola known as Bundibugyo, which is thought to have killed more than 130 people and caused nearly 600 suspected cases. …
… No vaccine or treatment exists for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which is behind the latest outbreak of the disease, which has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa in the past half-century. …
The Democratic Republic of Congo reported 598 confirmed Ebola cases, including 115 deaths, in an outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain announced in May but undetected for weeks. The outbreak spans three provinces in conflict zones, with cases in 17 health zones in Ituri, seven in North Kivu, and one in South Kivu; authorities are urging populations to seek care and warning that mistrust and attacks on health workers have hampered the response.
The Democratic Republic of Congo reported 598 confirmed Ebola cases, including 115 deaths, in an outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain announced in May but undetected for weeks. The outbreak spans three provinces in conflict zones, with cases in 17 health zones in Ituri, seven in North Kivu, and one in South Kivu; authorities are urging populations to seek care and warning that mistrust and attacks on health workers have hampered the response.
The Democratic Republic of Congo reported 101 confirmed Ebola deaths and 550 confirmed cases as of Monday, with the Bundibugyo strain outbreak unfolding across three conflict-affected provinces; armed groups are hindering the response and impeding humanitarian access, with reports of attacks on burial teams and treatment centres.
Democratic Republic of Congo authorities reported around 380 confirmed Ebola cases and 60 deaths, down from over 1,000 suspected cases, but the reduction reflects improved data through lab testing rather than a decrease in danger. Key challenges remain, including that only about 45% of contacts with Ebola patients are being traced—below the 90% needed for control—and mistrust in affected communities.
Residents attacked an Ebola burial team in Democratic Republic of Congo's South Kivu province on Monday, forcing responders to abandon a coffin; the body was subsequently handled by community members, raising transmission risks. Burial teams and health workers have faced repeated attacks fueled by mistrust and resistance to response efforts.
Merck is in discussions with global health authorities about using its COVID antiviral pill molnupiravir as an Ebola treatment amid a widening outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo involving the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments. The drug, which has shown some efficacy against Ebola in animal studies, is not currently approved for Ebola use but could potentially help prevent infections in high-risk individuals.
The World Health Organization has raised the public health risk from the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo from "high" to "very high," while the wider African region faces a "high" risk and the global risk remains "low." The rare Bundibugyo species, with no proven vaccine and a fatality rate of about a third, has resulted in 177 suspected deaths and 750 suspected cases so far.
Police in northeastern Congo fired warning shots and tear gas during a dispute over the safe burial of a suspected Ebola victim, a local footballer. The incident, which saw protesters burn down tents for Ebola patients, highlights challenges authorities face enforcing safe burials required to contain the outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo strain.
Congo's soccer team has canceled a three-day World Cup preparation training camp and planned farewell to fans in Kinshasa because of an Ebola outbreak in the east of the country that has killed more than 130 people and caused nearly 600 suspected cases. The team's warmup matches against Denmark in Belgium on June 3 and Chile in Spain on June 9 are proceeding as planned.
The WHO's expert panel is meeting to discuss vaccine options for a new Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, where the death toll has risen to an estimated 131 from 513 suspected cases, prompting the WHO to declare an international health emergency.