Brazzaville, DRC — The Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus (BVD) has claimed 452 lives among 1,460 confirmed cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as of July 1, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The virus continues to spread into new health zones, raising concerns over sustained transmission.
WHO said Ituri Province remains the epicenter of the outbreak, accounting for more than 90% of confirmed infections. Active transmission is continuing across 21 health zones, while health authorities are intensifying surveillance, contact tracing, testing, and treatment efforts.
In neighboring Uganda, health officials have confirmed 20 Ebola cases, including two deaths and one probable fatal case as of July 2. The last confirmed infection was reported on June 21. Uganda’s outbreak remains linked to cross-border transmission from the DRC, with several imported cases and secondary infections among contacts and healthcare workers.
WHO also confirmed that France reported a laboratory-confirmed Bundibugyo Ebola infection on June 24 in a medical doctor who had recently returned from the DRC, prompting international contact tracing and monitoring measures.
Bundibugyo virus disease is a severe form of Ebola believed to originate in fruit bats. It spreads through contact with infected wildlife or the bodily fluids of infected individuals. Symptoms typically appear 2 to 21 days after exposure and initially include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, and headache before progressing to severe gastrointestinal illness and, in some cases, hemorrhagic complications.
WHO currently assesses the outbreak risk as very high within the DRC and high in Uganda and neighboring countries because of continued cross-border movement. The risk to the wider African region and globally remains low, although health authorities continue to strengthen preparedness and surveillance.
Previous Bundibugyo Ebola outbreaks in 2007 and 2012 recorded case fatality rates of approximately 30% and 50%, respectively, underscoring the seriousness of the ongoing outbreak.
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