Ebola

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DR Congo Ebola outbreak becomes deadliest in country’s history

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has killed 2,325 people, surpassing the death toll from the 2018–2020 epidemic to become the deadliest in the country's history, according to government data released on Sunday.

WHO recommends testing existing Ebola vaccine against Bundibugyo strain in DRC

Moderna has launched the first human clinical trial of an mRNA vaccine targeting Bundibugyo ebolavirus, the strain driving a deadly outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that has now killed more than 2,100 people and for which no…

Study finds Congo-Uganda Ebola outbreak came from new animal spillover

The Ebola outbreak ravaging the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda originated from a fresh spillover of the virus from animals to humans, rather than a re-emergence of strains from previous outbreaks, according to a study published Monday in Nature…

Moderna begins first human trial of Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine

Moderna announced Tuesday that it has begun dosing volunteers in the first human trial of mRNA-1469, an experimental vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus — a pathogen with no approved vaccine that is fueling the second-largest Ebola outbreak…

CEPI funds first Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine as Congo outbreak doubles every 20 days

Senior United Nations officials called Wednesday for a three- to five-fold increase in the international response to the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, warning that the epidemic is doubling in size every 20 days and outpacing containment…

First experimental Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine given to human volunteer

A 37-year-old man from Oxford, England, became the first person in the world to receive an experimental vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola on Friday, as the deadly outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo surpassed 1,000 deaths.

GHIT Fund invests in portable Ebola diagnostic amid deadly Bundibugyo outbreak

The Global Health Innovative Technology Fund announced on Wednesday an investment of approximately JPY 140 million (USD 862,000) to develop a portable rapid diagnostic system for Ebola disease, as a large outbreak of Bundibugyo virus continues to spread across central…

Africa CDC prepares Ervebo vaccine trial against Bundibugyo Ebola in DRC

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and international partners are organizing a clinical trial to test whether Merck's licensed Ervebo vaccine can protect frontline health workers against the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo,…

FDA authorizes OraSure’s rapid test for Bundibugyo Ebola virus

The FDA on Tuesday granted Emergency Use Authorization to OraSure Technologies for its OraQuick Ebola 2.0 Rapid Antigen Test, a second-generation diagnostic capable of detecting the Bundibugyo virus driving the current Ebola epidemic in Central Africa.

Congo Ebola death toll hits 930 as outbreak accelerates

The death toll from the Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak has reached at least 930, with 2,344 confirmed cases as of Saturday, Congo's Ministry of Health announced Monday, as escalating U.S. and Congolese travel restrictions draw warnings from aid…

First trial of Ebola antiviral begins in DRC outbreak

Researchers in the Democratic Republic of Congo began enrolling participants on July 14 in the EBO-PEP trial, the first clinical study testing Gilead Sciences' experimental antiviral obeldesivir as post-exposure prophylaxis against the Bundibugyo Ebola virus, according to ALIMA, one of…

Oxford launches first human trial of Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine

The University of Oxford has begun the world's first Phase I clinical trial of a vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, marking a milestone in the global response to an outbreak that has killed more than 600 people in…

Congo Ebola workers strike over unpaid wages as deaths top 600

Healthcare workers at the epicenter of Congo's Ebola outbreak walked off their jobs last week, staging protests outside treatment centers in the country's northeast over wages they say have gone unpaid since the crisis began nearly two months ago.

WHO opens first clinical trial for Bundibugyo Ebola treatments in DRC

The WHO-sponsored PARTNERS clinical trial opened enrollment on Wednesday for patients in the Democratic Republic of Congo, marking the first effort to identify effective treatments for Bundibugyo virus disease amid an outbreak that has now killed more than 400 people…

Bundibugyo Ebola tops 1,100 cases as clinical trials near

Scientists trying to develop vaccines and treatments for the fast-growing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in Central Africa are running into a basic problem: too little is known about the strain, and the response is being shaped by delayed detection, limited diagnostics…

NEJM study finds hemorrhagic symptoms rare in Bundibugyo Ebola patients

A correspondence published in The New England Journal of Medicine on June 24 presents clinical data from 405 confirmed Bundibugyo virus disease patients in the Democratic Republic of Congo, finding that hemorrhagic symptoms — long considered a hallmark of Ebola…

At least 30 die in Congo displacement camp as Ebola spreads undetected

At least 30 people have died since early May in the Kigonze displaced persons camp in Bunia, northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a death rate camp officials described as unprecedented and one that suggests Ebola may be spreading rapidly among…

WHO releases first clinical guidelines for all Ebola and Marburg viruses

The World Health Organization on Tuesday released its first comprehensive clinical guidelines covering all major filovirus diseases, including every known species of Ebola and Marburg virus, as a fast-moving outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain in the Democratic Republic of…

G7 summit wraps up with pledges on debt, Ebola, development reform

The 52nd G7 Summit concluded Wednesday in Évian-les-Bains, France, after three days of talks that produced joint declarations on international development partnerships, the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, and global debt vulnerabilities — while a hot-mic moment between Canadian Prime Minister Mark…

US commits $50M to CEPI for Bundibugyo Ebola countermeasures

The United States announced a $50 million commitment to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to accelerate development of medical countermeasures against the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus, as the deadly outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo continues…

US warns Europe to tighten Ebola travel curbs or face restrictions

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday to discuss coordination between Washington and Brussels in responding to the Ebola outbreak spreading through the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, with…

DR Congo’s World Cup warm-up moved behind closed doors over Ebola fears

The Democratic Republic of Congo's final World Cup warm-up match against Chile will take place behind closed doors in the French city of Orleans on Tuesday, as the Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC continues to cast a shadow over the…

Congo must isolate 21 days or miss World Cup, U.S. warns

The Democratic Republic of Congo's national football team must maintain a strict 21-day isolation bubble in Belgium or risk being barred from entering the United States for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of…