No approved vaccine for Bundibugyo strain as cases surge
The World Health Organization said the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is the largest the country has ever recorded, with 3,605 confirmed cases and 1,587 deaths as of July 30. The outbreak was declared on May 15, 2026, and surpasses the previous record between 2018 and 2020, which had nearly 3,500 cases of whom almost 2,300 died.
The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus. The WHO said in a statement posted on X that the outbreak was “intensifying, with sustained transmission and continued increases in reported cases and deaths.” During the past week, the outbreak reached its highest weekly total with 567 cases and 296 deaths, figures the WHO said underscored “the exceptional pace of transmission.”
There is currently no approved vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo strain. The WHO said the “most promising” vaccine would be developed in Singapore, while a trial of a separate jab has begun in the UK.
The center of the outbreak is Ituri province in the northeast of the country, which borders South Sudan and Uganda. The outbreak has spread to other parts of the country, including the North and South Kivu provinces, where large areas are controlled by the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group.
“Factors like insecurity, population displacement, and cross-border movement continue to hamper response efforts and increase the risk of further spread,” the WHO said. The organization added that “the convergence of insecurity, population displacement and mobility, and cross-border movements complicate response operations and increase the risk of further geographical spread.”
During the current outbreak, 20 cases have also been reported in Uganda along with one in France. Two cases diagnosed in DR Congo were later treated in Germany.
Ebola, which spreads through contact with bodily fluids, has killed 15,000 people across Africa over the last 50 years.