BUNIA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO / RankWire.AI / – The World Health Organization has indicated that unidentified transmission pathways are responsible for 80% of recent Ebola infections in eastern Congo. A significant number of patients were not listed on contact tracing records prior to their infection confirmation, which hampers early isolation efforts and delays treatment for symptomatic individuals. Response teams often detect new clusters only after patients seek care at clinics or succumb within their communities. This outbreak involves the Bundibugyo virus, a less prevalent strain of Ebola.
As of July 13, Congo reported a total of 2,011 confirmed cases and 754 fatalities. The main epicenter remains Ituri province, with 1,808 cases and 631 deaths. North Kivu has documented 182 cases and 106 deaths. Additional cases have been reported in South Kivu, Haut-Uele, and Tshopo. Authorities have placed 753 individuals in isolation and recorded 366 recoveries. Surveillance teams are monitoring approximately 67% of identified contacts in the most affected regions.
Tracing contacts is vital for health workers to identify and isolate exposed individuals before further transmission occurs. Typically, each contact is observed for 21 days following the last exposure. According to WHO, 92.3% of the 430 deaths investigated through July 5 happened outside hospital settings or prior to hospital admission, reducing chances for prompt testing and containment. Ebola spreads via direct contact with infected blood or bodily fluids, and contaminated objects can also serve as transmission sources.
Five provinces report confirmed cases
The outbreak has impacted 45 health zones across five provinces in Congo. In Ituri, cases have been identified in 26 zones, while North Kivu has cases in 11 zones. Haut-Uele has 14 cases with 13 deaths, Tshopo has four cases and three deaths, and South Kivu reports three cases with one death. The widespread distribution has increased the workload for laboratories, treatment facilities, and mobile surveillance teams.
By July 14, Uganda had confirmed 20 cases and two deaths. Seventeen patients had recovered, with the most recent confirmed case reported on June 21. Of these infections, 15 were linked to travel from Congo, while five cases resulted from local transmission events. Ugandan health authorities have not documented any community spread, and they continue to monitor travelers and aid workers leaving affected zones during the outbreak.
Expansion of testing and treatment efforts
Bundibugyo virus currently has no approved vaccine or targeted therapy. Medical teams are providing supportive care, including fluids, oxygen, and electrolyte replacement. WHO added the first molecular diagnostic test for this virus to its Emergency Use Listing on July 2. Currently, ten laboratories support testing across the affected regions, with a combined capacity of over 2,000 tests daily. Researchers have also initiated a clinical trial involving remdesivir and the antibody therapy MBP134.
The government of Congo, WHO, and Africa CDC continue to coordinate efforts around surveillance, testing, treatment, safe burials, and community engagement. Challenges such as insecurity, displacement, frequent movement through mining areas, and strikes by health workers have impeded access to some communities. WHO has received approximately 40% of its $115 million funding appeal. Authorities remain focused on accelerating case detection, as most new infections occur outside of known transmission chains.