The outbreak is caused by Bundibugyo virus disease, a rare Ebola strain for which no licensed, strain‑specific vaccine or treatment is available. WHO said the outbreak does not meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency, but urged cross‑border surveillance, rapid isolation of cases and stronger regional coordination. As of 16 May, WHO reported eight laboratory‑confirmed cases, 246 suspected cases and about 80 suspected deaths in Ituri province in eastern DRC, along with two confirmed cases — including one death — in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, in people who had travelled from Congo.