DRC Ebola outbreak exceeds 4,000 cases as WHO backs Ervebo trial

Government figures show the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has surpassed 4,000 confirmed cases and 1,850 deaths since it was declared in mid-May, spreading through 53 health zones in Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele and Tshopo. The epidemic, described as the fastest-spreading on record, has overwhelmed health services amid ongoing conflict and limited treatment options. WHO vaccine specialists recommended launching a full-scale human trial of Ervebo, the sole licensed Ebola vaccine, after animal studies indicated it may protect against the rare Bundibugyo strain.

However, the UN’s Technical Advisory Group on Candidate Vaccine Prioritization warned that protection against symptomatic infection could be modest and emphasized the need for a strain-specific vaccine. Two Bundibugyo vaccine candidates are already in early human testing, while a third is being prepared. Gavi’s global vaccine alliance will supply Ervebo doses from its stockpile, with some already positioned in the DRC, to support the trial.