Bundibugyo Ebola Outbreak in Congo: Five Patients Recover as Cases Reach 134 Confirmed with 18 Deaths

Five patients have recovered from the Bundibugyo virus, a rare strain of Ebola with no approved treatment or vaccine. Four will be discharged on the day of the announcement and one was discharged the day before. The first documented recovery of a confirmed case since the outbreak began occurred earlier in the week.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the announcement during the opening of a new treatment center in Bunia, Ituri province, eastern Congo. He said the recoveries show that patients can survive the illness even as researchers continue work on vaccines and treatments. He urged residents to seek care at the first sign of symptoms.

At least 906 suspected cases and 223 suspected deaths have been reported in Congo, according to the WHO. There are 134 confirmed cases and 18 deaths among confirmed cases in Congo and neighboring Uganda. The illness has also appeared in Congo’s North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.

Uganda has confirmed nine cases and one death, the Ugandan Health Ministry said Friday. The ministry released its case and death figures on Friday. Doctors Without Borders said Saturday that the virus is spreading faster than the response despite improved facilities and new aid shipments.

The group called for expanded testing, faster deployment of aid workers, and sustained access to medical supplies. Residents have attacked at least three health centers, driven by anger over medical protocols for handling bodies that conflict with local burial customs. Attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces and ethnic militias in Ituri have further hindered operations.

The Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group, which controls cities including Goma and Bukavu, has reported two cases in areas under its control. Davin Ambitapio, a doctor at the treatment center, said the current strain “is not as complicated as those we have dealt with in the past” and that partners can bring the outbreak under control quickly.