WHO Starts 2-Treatment Ebola Trial in DRC as Bundibugyo Outbreak Tops 1,400 Cases
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jul 2
WHO Starts 2-Treatment Ebola Trial in DRC as Bundibugyo Outbreak Tops 1,400 Cases
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jul 2
Summary
The first patient has been enrolled in a WHO-sponsored trial of two Ebola therapeutics in the Democratic Republic of Congo, targeting the Bundibugyo strain driving the current outbreak.
WHO said the strain has no approved vaccine or treatment, even as the outbreak declared in May has already caused 1,406 confirmed cases and 438 deaths in DRC.
Uganda has reported 20 confirmed cases and two deaths, while France has recorded one confirmed case, underscoring the outbreak's cross-border reach.
The study is being coordinated by DRC's Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale with Belgium's Institute of Tropical Medicine and the University of Oxford, as health officials seek tools to save more lives.
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Bundibugyo Ebola 2026: Race for Treatment Amid Vaccine Gaps and Humanitarian Crisis in DRC and Uganda
Overview
The Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in late June 2026 has triggered an urgent clinical trial in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as there are still no approved vaccines or specific treatments for this strain. The Bundibugyo virus, first identified in 2007, has caused only small outbreaks before, which limited commercial interest in developing vaccines or treatments. Existing Ebola vaccines target the Zaire ebolavirus and are not proven effective against Bundibugyo. This gap has led to a rapid response, with new trials aiming to find effective therapies and address the ongoing threat, highlighting the urgent need for targeted medical solutions.