Bundibugyo Ebola Outbreak Tops 3,200 Cases as First Vaccine Trial Begins and Healthcare Workers Strike

The Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has reached 3,200 confirmed cases and at least 1,405 deaths as of July 26 — the fastest case growth ever recorded in any Ebola outbreak — while the first-ever vaccine trial for the strain began at Oxford and healthcare workers at the epicenter went on strike over unpaid wages.

Two days before the grim milestone, a 37-year-old Oxford volunteer named Ed Hunt became the first person in history to receive a vaccine specifically designed for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola.

Infections surged by roughly 1,000 in just 10 days, a pace with no precedent in Ebola’s recorded history.

About a hundred doctors, nurses, and security staff at the Elikya Ebola Treatment Center in Bunia, the outbreak’s epicenter in Ituri Province, stopped work on Saturday and demonstrated outside the facility, demanding unpaid bonuses and salaries owed since the outbreak was declared on May 15. The walkout brought the center to a standstill, disrupting case isolation, patient care, and contact tracing.

Dr. Adelard Lufungula, operations manager for the DRC’s Ebola response, said the payment backlog is being resolved and workers are now paid via mobile money. The UN Humanitarian Air Service has been transporting responders and supplies, but logistics remain crippling.

Bundibugyo virus (BDBV) is one of four Orthoebolavirus species that cause Ebola disease in humans. It is genetically distinct from the Zaire ebolavirus, which caused the 2014–2016 West Africa epidemic. Ervebo, the only licensed Ebola vaccine, was designed for Zaire ebolavirus, and the World Health Organization concluded it provides insufficient cross-protection to recommend its use against Bundibugyo. Prior Bundibugyo outbreaks in 2007–2008 and 2012 produced only 149 and 57 cases respectively — too small to spur commercial vaccine development. No Bundibugyo-specific vaccine or treatment was ever licensed.

The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, its highest alert level, with cases now confirmed in neighboring Uganda.

The virus spreads through direct contact with blood or bodily fluids of an infected person, not through the air. The incubation period ranges from two to 21 days, and individuals are not contagious until symptoms appear. Case fatality rates in prior Bundibugyo outbreaks were 30% to 50%. Early symptoms resemble flu or malaria: fever, tiredness, headache, and muscle pain, progressing to vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and in some cases bleeding.

With no approved vaccine or targeted treatment, patients receive supportive care — including fluids, oxygen, and treatment for complications — which can significantly improve survival. Health authorities and international partners are identifying cases, isolating patients, tracing contacts, and promoting safe burial practices.