WHO Reports Bundibugyo Ebola Outbreak in DR Congo and Uganda

GENEVA — The World Health Organization reported an outbreak of Ebola virus disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, the agency said on 17 July 2026.

The WHO did not immediately publish case counts or the specific affected districts in its disease-outbreak notice. The Bundibugyo species is one of several known to cause Ebola virus disease, the WHO has reported.

Separately, CNBC Africa reported on 13 July that the University of Oxford had begun the first human trial of a vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo strain, and on 15 July reported a coordinated push to accelerate development of a countermeasure.

## Why the Bundibugyo Ebola Outbreak Matters

The announcement returns the Bundibugyo strain to the roster of viral haemorrhagic fevers tracked under global outbreak surveillance. The DRC and Uganda have previously recorded Ebola outbreaks, the WHO has said, underscoring the cross-border risk in the Great Lakes region. While the current event lies outside Nigeria, it highlights the continental vulnerability to Ebola and the value of Africa-based vaccine manufacturing and surveillance capacity.

Source: World Health Organization, 17 July 2026.