The World Health Organization on May 17 determined that the epidemic of Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. As of May 16, eight laboratory-confirmed cases had been identified in Ituri Province along with 246 suspected cases and 80 suspected deaths, while two confirmed cases occurred in Kampala, Uganda, among travelers from the affected area, according to a WHO statement. The declaration cited documented international spread, uncertainties over the outbreak’s true scale and the absence of approved specific vaccines or therapeutics as factors requiring coordinated global action.
According to the WHO, the event is considered extraordinary due to unusual clusters of community deaths with symptoms compatible with the disease across several health zones in Ituri and at least four healthcare worker deaths suggestive of viral haemorrhagic fever. The statement noted high positivity rates among initial samples and increasing syndromic reports that point toward a potentially much larger outbreak than currently detected. It further highlighted how insecurity, population mobility and informal health facilities compound risks of spread in the region, similar to patterns seen in prior local epidemics.
The CDC issued a health advisory on May 19 confirming the outbreak details while noting the affected areas face added pressures from population displacement, mining activity and frequent cross-border travel. Ugandan authorities activated enhanced surveillance, screening at entry points and response protocols after the Kampala cases, the advisory reported. No related suspected, probable or confirmed cases had been identified in the United States as of May 18, according to CDC figures.
This represents the 17th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since the virus was first identified in 1976, the WHO African regional office reported. Past Bundibugyo virus outbreaks in Uganda in 2007 and in Congo in 2012 recorded case fatality rates ranging from 30 to 50 percent, a separate WHO disease outbreak news item stated. Unlike strains such as Zaire ebolavirus for which vaccines and monoclonal antibodies exist, no licensed specific countermeasures are available for Bundibugyo virus although early supportive care improves survival chances.
Doctors Without Borders reported in June that authorities had documented more than 500 suspected cases and 130 deaths across multiple health zones with several confirmations in Uganda. The medical organization has mobilized teams to support response efforts in northeastern Congo where it already runs programs addressing conflict, epidemics and limited health access. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control issued its own threat assessment for the situation as it stood in mid-June.
The WHO advised the affected countries to activate national emergency management systems and establish operation centers that coordinate across surveillance, contact tracing, infection prevention, laboratory testing and clinical care. It called for strengthened community engagement through local leaders to overcome barriers to participation while ensuring safe referral of patients to specialized treatment units equipped for intensive supportive care. Additional recommendations include exit screening at major transport hubs, travel restrictions for cases and contacts, prohibition on international movement of confirmed patients until cleared by testing, and consideration of postponing mass gatherings.
In its announcement the WHO indicated the director-general would convene an Emergency Committee promptly to provide advice on temporary recommendations for all states parties. The statement expressed appreciation for the transparency shown by authorities in both the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda in sharing risk assessments. An editorial note later clarified that a reported case transported to Kinshasa had tested negative on confirmatory laboratory analysis and was not counted among confirmed infections.
