WHO Declares Global Health Emergency as Bundibugyo Ebola Outbreak Escalates in DRC and Uganda

Overview

• Following Sunday’s global health emergency declaration, authorities on Tuesday reported 516 suspected cases and 131 deaths in eastern DRC, with confirmed infections also in Uganda including one death.
• The CDC said an American working in DRC tested positive for Ebola, and the patient along with six other exposed Americans are being transferred to Germany for treatment and monitoring.
• The United States activated its emergency response center and set a 30‑day entry bar for most non‑citizens who recently traveled to DRC, Uganda or South Sudan, while consular services in Uganda were curtailed.
• WHO said 6 to 12 tons of protective gear and other medical supplies are arriving in DRC, and a technical panel meeting Tuesday is assessing candidate vaccines and experimental therapies for possible use.
• DRC’s national lab (INRB) sequenced the virus and confirmed the rare Bundibugyo variant, indicating a fresh spillover unrelated to 2007 or 2012, after weeks of missed detection tied to early test gaps and insecurity in the region.