Democratic Republic of the Congo Ebola Bundibugyo Virus Outbreak Situation Report #14
- Emergency Manager's Weekly Report
- Aug 5
- 3 min read
Global Highlights:
· The World Health Organization (WHO) reported as of August 3rd there are 4,197 cases (3,895 confirmed, 301 suspected & 1 probable):
o There are 1,754 deaths (1,753 confirmed & 1 probable).
o 768 people have recovered.
o Active cases are only being reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC):
ü 99.5% of cases and 99.9% of the deaths are predominantly in Ituri and there is continued high transmission in North-Kivu.
o The case-fatality ratio is high at 45.0%, indicating delayed access to care.
· As of August 1st, this the largest Ebola outbreak in the country’s history.
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Highlights:
· Reports highlight that continued fighting in the highlands of South Kivu Province is forcing people to flee their homes and disrupting access to essential services.
· Clashes in the territories of Uvira, Fizi and Mwenga have displaced more than 48,000 people since mid-July.
· On August 1st, following the violence that disrupted response operations in Nyakunde, Ituri, the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) has deployed a mobile operational base in Marabo to strengthen its presence.
· The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA) has warned that insecurity, road closures, damaged infrastructure and telecommunications outages are severely constraining humanitarian access, medical evacuations and the delivery of life-saving assistance.
· Healthcare and Public Health Update:
o Damage to health facilities and the departure of medical staff have reduced access to medical care, leaving more than 80 people injured by armed violence and explosive remnants of war without the treatment they reportedly need since the start of the year.
o As of August 2nd, the DRC Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene and Social Security (MOH) in Nizi has received 30 additional beds and 38 mattresses from WHO bringing the Ebola Treatment Center’s capacity to 80 beds.
o Nizi is located near Mongbwalu and hosts more than 80,000 IDPs across 22 sites and experiences high population movement linked to mining activities, making it a priority area for the Ebola response.
o The DRC MOH announced on August 4th that health surveillance at the entry and exit points of Ituri Province is being modernized with the commissioning of the digital traveler registration system at the Buzdibela entry point:
ü This system enables the real-time collection of data related to traveler flows and key indicators of their health status.
o On August 5th, a new 100 bed Ebola Treatment Center has been opened in Bunia.
o The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) as of July 30th is collaborating with Hilleman and Wellcome, to advance the development and manufacturing of Bundibugyo ebolavirus vaccine candidate doses for clinical trials using the recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV) platform:
ü The project is receiving up to $8.5 million in CEPI funding.
· Forcibly displaced people face heightened risks as the outbreak expands near displacement sites:
o The affected provinces currently host around 4.4 million forcibly displaced people, which includes:
ü 3.8 million Internally Displaced People (IDPs).
ü Around 274,000 refugees and asylum seekers.
ü 290,000 returnees.
ü Around 46,800 South Sudanese refugees also live in Ituri.
o While no cases have been reported among refugees or asylum-seekers, 19 cases have been confirmed among IDPs, including five deaths, mainly in Ituri.
· The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) on August 3rd is continuing to scale up support for frontline teams:
o 23 Safe and Dignified Burial kits and 8,000 body bags arrived in Bunia.
o With the support of the DRC Red Cross Society, the IFRC has expanded community engagement, early detection, and infection prevention.
· The Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on August 5th announced that the United States is releasing an additional $242 million in funding to support response and preparedness activities.
Sources:
· Bundibugyo Virus Disease Outbreak | Situation Report No. 78 – August 3, 2026
· West and Central Africa: Latest Events at a glance (28 July–3 August 2026)
· Disease Outbreak News: Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus - Democratic Republic of the Congo, Aug 1
· Ebola Outbreak: Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda - External update #4 - 31 July 2026
· WHO Ebola outbreak - DRC 2026 Website
· OCHA DRC Twitter Page
· United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Twitter Page
· IFRC Africa Twitter Page
· DRC Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene and Social Security Twitter Page
· DRC Red Cross Society Twitter Page
· WHO African Region Twitter Page
· Africa CDC Twitter Page
Resources
WHO issues comprehensive guidelines on filovirus disease, including Ebola and Marburg disease
CDC Health Advisory: Ebola Disease Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda
ECDC, Ebola disease
Comments