Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak DR Congo third largest on record 1155 cases 304 deaths
Eastern DR Congo is now facing the third-largest Ebola outbreak on record. As of June 25 the health ministry reports 1,155 confirmed cases and 304 deaths, with 385 people in isolation. The Bundibugyo strain has no approved vaccine. France confirmed an imported case on June 24.
Eastern DR Congo is now confronting the third-largest Ebola outbreak ever documented. As of June 25, the country's health ministry reported 1,155 confirmed cases and 304 confirmed deaths, with 385 patients held in isolation. The outbreak is concentrated in Ituri province, which accounts for more than a thousand cases across 22 health zones, with smaller clusters in North Kivu and South Kivu. What sets this wave apart is the pathogen itself. It is driven by the Bundibugyo species of ebolavirus, for which there is no approved vaccine and no specific treatment. The vaccines and antibody therapies that helped bring the 2018-2020 outbreaks under control were developed against a different species and are not a confirmed match here. The outbreak is no longer contained to central Africa. France confirmed an imported case on June 24, and a US citizen was earlier evacuated to Germany for treatment. Both infections were linked to travel from affected areas. The WHO declared the situation a public health emergency of international concern on May 16.