Congolese children read an advocacy poster as aid agencies intensify efforts to contain a new Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain outbreak, in Bunia, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, on May 20, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
At the heart of the current outbreak of Ebola in Central Africa is a quirky name —Bundibugyo. The less-known Bundibugyo ebolavirus strain that causes an often-fatal viral haemorrhagic fever is the primary causative agent in the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda. While related to the more common Zaire ebolavirus and the Sudan ebolavirus, there have been only two documented Bundibugyo-related outbreaks (Uganda in 2007, and another in the DRC in 2012). Currently, there are no vaccines or specific therapies against it, though efforts are on to fast-track the development of a vaccine.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared with unusual alacrity a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), even bypassing conventional consultations with expert bodies to do so. Soon after the DRC and Ugandan governments declared an outbreak of Ebola, on May 15, the WHO announced a PHEIC.
The name Bundibugyo comes from the days when pathogens used to be named after the places they were discovered in, though that naming convention is no longer considered fashionable. It was first identified in 2007 in the Bundibugyo district of western Uganda. Bundibugyo, in the Western Region of Uganda, bordering the DRC, is the headquarters of the Bwamba Kingdom. After a mysterious illness broke out in 2007, the Bundibugyo ebolavirus was identified in diagnostic samples submitted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, U.S., in November 2007, according to a 2010 article in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Previously documented Bundibugyo outbreaks have reportedly had case fatality rates of 30% and 50% — more or less the same fatality rate as the more common Zaire ebolavirus strain that caused havoc in Africa between 2014 and 2016. While this has caused fears that the virus is probably as deadly, the extra concern is because the outbreak has started in a conflict-ridden area, making case detection and contact tracing difficult and access to care uneven.
As of May 21, 2026, a total of 83 confirmed cases, including nine deaths, and 746 suspected cases, including 176 deaths, have been reported from 15 health zones in the DRC. Four health worker deaths have been reported to date. An American national who was working in the DRC as a surgeon has also been confirmed to have Ebola, reportedly having been exposed to the virus during a procedure he performed on May 11. He is being treated in isolation in Germany.
Similar symptoms
According to an article in the Scientific American, the symptoms of an infection with the Bundibugyo virus resemble those of other orthoebolaviruses. Early on, they include an intense headache, high fever, body ache and fatigue. This is known as the “dry symptoms”, but as the infection progresses, people can develop “wet symptoms” or intense vomiting and diarrhoea, which can become life-threatening. It further says: the viruses are also known to cause hemorrhagic fever, infecting specific immune cells and triggering a massive inflammatory response that can lead to internal bleeding and organ failure.
Efforts are in place to improve identification of persons with suspected infection, trace their contacts, contain the spread of infection and make sure that everyone with the symptoms receives appropriate care at a health facility.
Meanwhile, the WHO has raised the public risk from the Ebola outbreak in DRC from ‘high’ to ‘very high’. The scheduled India-Africa Forum Summit has been cancelled due to the ongoing crisis. British media have reported that scientists at Oxford University are working on developing a new vaccine to tackle the Bundibugyo strain, and that it might be ready for clinical trials in two or three months. Additionally, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, a global partnership working to accelerate the development of vaccines and other biologicals, has claimed that it is working at pace with partners, including Africa CDC, WHO and national authorities, to identify opportunities to rapidly advance vaccine development.
Published – May 24, 2026 01:30 am IST
