WHO Lists First Ebola Bundibugyo Diagnostic Test for Emergency Use

On 2 July 2026, the World Health Organization added the first molecular diagnostic test for Bundibugyo virus to its Emergency Use Listing. The test detects viral genetic material in blood samples and is designed for laboratory confirmation of infection.

Bundibugyo Virus and Ebola Disease

Bundibugyo virus is one of the species of the genus Ebolavirus and causes Ebola disease in humans. The virus was first identified in Uganda in 2007, and Bundibugyo ebolavirus is distinct from the Zaire ebolavirus strain used in many licensed Ebola therapeutics and diagnostic platforms.

Emergency Use Listing and Laboratory Diagnosis

The Emergency Use Listing is a WHO procedure for assessing unlicensed medical products during public health emergencies. Molecular diagnostic tests for viral haemorrhagic fevers use nucleic acid detection methods, which identify pathogen RNA or DNA in clinical samples. The commonly used GeneXpert platform and several existing Ebola therapeutics are approved for the Zaire strain and do not effectively target Bundibugyo virus. The new test expands laboratory options for confirmation of Bundibugyo virus disease in outbreak settings.

Outbreak Data and Public Health Status

The Democratic Republic of the Congo reported 1,406 laboratory-confirmed cases and 438 deaths linked to the Bundibugyo virus outbreak as of 2 July 2026. The outbreak was described as the largest recorded outbreak of Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus. On 17 May 2026, the Director-General of the World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak caused by Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Laboratory testing capacity in affected provinces increased to more than 2,000 tests per day across 10 laboratories. Initial testing capacity at limited sites was estimated at 200 to 400 tests per day.

Important Facts for Exams

• The World Health Organization uses the Emergency Use Listing for health products during public health emergencies.
• Bundibugyo virus is associated with Ebola disease and belongs to the genus Ebolavirus.
• Public Health Emergency of International Concern is the highest formal alert under the International Health Regulations, 2005.
• Marburg virus disease is caused by a different filovirus from Ebola virus and was confirmed in Uganda on 30 June 2026.

Recent Surveillance Updates

Uganda reported no new Ebola cases after 21 June 2026. Uganda notified WHO of a confirmed case of Marburg virus disease in Kyegegwa District on 30 June 2026.