Congo Reports Over 1,000 Suspected Cases of Bundibugyo Virus Amid WHO Response
The Democratic Republic of Congo has reported over 1,000 suspected cases of Bundibugyo virus in its eastern Ituri province, with no approved treatment or vaccine available. The WHO Director-General is on the ground coordinating response efforts.
Outbreak Scale
The outbreak remains focused in Congo's eastern Ituri province. Congo has reported over 1,000 suspected cases with the Bundibugyo virus, which has no approved treatment or vaccine. The health organization said latest official figures showed 906 suspected cases and 223 suspected deaths.
WHO Response
Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, visits health workers at the Evangelical Medical Centre (CEM) in Bunia, Congo, Sunday, May 31, 2026. The outbreak remains focused in Congo's eastern Ituri province. The WHO's top official is actively engaged in assessing the situation and coordinating international response efforts on the ground.
Regional Preparedness Concerns
Aid workers in neighboring Uganda are watching the outbreak closely and preparing for potential spillover. Aid workers in Uganda are watching an Ebola crisis unfold in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. They're doing what they can to prepare for an uptick in cases, but foreign aid cuts aren't helping. The absence of approved treatments or vaccines presents a significant challenge to public health authorities attempting to contain the outbreak.