WHO declares Bundibugyo Ebola a global emergency as DRC-Uganda outbreak tops 130 confirmed cases

An Ebola species with no licensed vaccine has crossed the DRC-Uganda border, and a US clinician infected in Congo is being treated in Germany.

The World Health Organization has declared the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, its highest level of alarm, as confirmed cases passed 130 across the two countries and a US doctor infected while working in Congo was evacuated to Germany for treatment.

WHO’s Director-General made the PHEIC determination on 17 May 2026, finding that “the event meets the criteria of the definition of PHEIC, contained in Article 1 - Definitions of the IHR.” By the agency’s 29 May Disease Outbreak News update, 134 cases had been laboratory-confirmed — 125 in the DRC and 9 in Uganda — with 18 confirmed deaths, a case fatality ratio of 14%. The DRC has also logged 906 suspected cases and 223 suspected deaths. Ituri Province accounts for 88% of confirmed cases, with further spread to North Kivu and South Kivu and, across the border, to Kampala and Wakiso in Uganda.

A different Ebola, and no shot for it

The central complication is biology. This outbreak is caused by Bundibugyo virus, a distinct Orthoebolavirus species — not the Zaire strain targeted by the licensed Ebola Zaire vaccine, ERVEBO. As WHO put it, “unlike for Ebola-zaire strains, there are currently no approved Bundibugyo virus-specific therapeutics or vaccines.”

“No approved vaccines or specific treatments currently exist for BVD.” — WHO Disease Outbreak News, 29 May 2026

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention echoed that gap in a 19 May Health Alert (HAN-00530), noting “there is currently no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-licensed or authorized vaccine to protect against Bundibugyo virus infection,” and that ERVEBO targets only a different species. CDC said some candidate therapies “have shown some efficacy in animal models” — a preclinical signal, not a licensed product — and put mortality in prior Bundibugyo outbreaks at roughly 25% to 50%. The incubation period runs 2 to 21 days.

The exported case is a US clinician. According to WHO’s 29 May Disease Outbreak News, “a medical doctor from the United States of America who was exposed as part of their work caring for patients in the Democratic Republic of the Congo tested positive on 17 May and was transported to Germany for treatment and care.” NBC News reported the physician was flown to Germany while his wife and four children, who remained in Congo, were being monitored.

CDC advises against nonessential travel to Ituri and North Kivu and recommends 21-day symptom monitoring after departure. As of 18 May, it reported no US cases linked to the outbreak.

Trials Today

Phase 3 VECTRA-01 (AZD2265 / 225Ac-PSMA-I&T, mCRPC) — Recruiting; alpha-emitter PSMA radioligand vs SOC after prior beta-emitter, taxane and ARPI; ~670 patients; dual primary rPFS and OS.

Phase 3 PRECISE-HD (pridopidine, Huntington's disease) — Newly registered; 400 patients not on antidopaminergics; primary is 52-week change in composite cUHDRS.

Phase 3 QUILT-2.023 (nogapendekin alfa inbakicept, 1L NSCLC) — Terminated; sponsor registry note states no active subjects, no efficacy results posted (enrolled 102).

Phase 3 Atezolizumab + standard HER2 therapy, 1L HER2+ mBC (NRG/NCI) — Terminated for poor accrual (190 enrolled); posted PFS 52.3% vs 40.5% is a numerical, underpowered signal only (CIs overlap, no HR).

Phase 2/3 Peri-operative nivolumab + ipilimumab, esophageal/GEJ adenocarcinoma (NCI) — Suspended after enrolling 278; registry summary gives no reason, so cause is unconfirmed. Watch item.

At the Agencies

Baxdrostat (Baxfendy), AstraZeneca — FDA approval May 18, 2026; first-in-class aldosterone synthase inhibitor for uncontrolled/resistant hypertension; BaxHTN placebo-adjusted SBP -9.8 mmHg.

Bulevirtide (Hepcludex), Gilead — FDA accelerated approval May 22, 2026; first US therapy for chronic hepatitis delta; surrogate week-48 combined response 48% vs 2%, confirmatory data required.

Pivekimab sunirine (Decnupaz), AbbVie — FDA approval May 27, 2026; first CD123-directed ADC for ultra-rare BPDCN; single-arm CADENZA CR/CRc 69.7% in treatment-naive (n=33).

Nerandomilast (Jascayd), Boehringer Ingelheim — EMA CHMP — Positive CHMP opinion (18-21 May 2026) for IPF and PPF; oral PDE4B inhibitor; FIBRONEER-IPF met primary FVC endpoint, key secondary not met. EC decision pending.