Uganda reports no new Bundibugyo virus cases as DRC outbreak death toll nears 1,000
According to the latest outbreak update from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention [Africa CDC], Uganda remains with 20 confirmed cases and two deaths, while all identified contacts have completed the mandatory follow-up period
KAMPALA, July 21, 2026 — Uganda has recorded no new confirmed cases or deaths from the ongoing Bundibugyo Virus Disease [BVD] outbreak, as neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo [DRC] continues to battle rising infections that have claimed nearly 1,000 lives.
According to the latest outbreak update from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention [Africa CDC], Uganda remains with 20 confirmed cases and two deaths, while all identified contacts have completed the mandatory follow-up period.
Health authorities said the country’s 42-day countdown towards declaring the outbreak over is continuing following the recovery and discharge of the last confirmed patient.
Across the two affected countries, a cumulative 2,443 confirmed cases, 969 deaths and 487 recoveries had been reported as of July 19, representing an overall case fatality ratio of 39.7 per cent.
The DRC continues to account for the overwhelming majority of infections. During the latest 24-hour reporting period, the country registered 79 new confirmed cases, 37 deaths and three recoveries.
Health officials said transmission remains largely concentrated in the eastern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, with Ituri accounting for 89.1 per cent of all confirmed cases reported in the DRC. Treatment centres, particularly in North Kivu, are operating beyond capacity, with occupancy reaching 128.4 per cent.
South Kivu, however, has recorded no new confirmed case for 53 consecutive days, signalling progress in containing transmission in that province.
Contact tracing remains one of the major pillars of the response, although health authorities acknowledged that coverage remains below target. Of the 10,519 registered contacts in the DRC, 8,531 were successfully followed up, representing a national follow-up rate of 81.1 per cent, against the recommended target of 95 per cent.
Meanwhile, surveillance teams investigated 911 of the 1,103 alerts reported across the DRC within 24 hours, with 252 of the alerts validated as suspected cases requiring further investigation.
Efforts to curb cross-border transmission have also been intensified. Screening teams examined 94.7 per cent of the 162,309 travellers passing through points of entry and control in Ituri and North Kivu.
The Africa CDC said it has strengthened the response by deploying nine GeneXpert diagnostic machines and laboratory reagents, introducing a DHIS2 digital surveillance toolkit, training more than 4,000 community health workers and facilitating cross-border coordination involving 11 African Union Member States.
Despite these interventions, response efforts continue to face significant operational challenges, including overstretched treatment facilities, insecurity, community resistance to safe and dignified burials, shortages of infection prevention and control supplies, limited laboratory capacity, and disruptions caused by delayed payment of frontline response personnel.
Health authorities said immediate priorities include expanding isolation and treatment capacity, improving contact tracing, ensuring safe access for response teams and maintaining preparedness in neighbouring countries.
Africa CDC and the World Health Organization [WHO] continue to advise against imposing unnecessary restrictions on international travel or trade, saying such measures are not warranted based on the current risk assessment.
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