The story

Uganda declared itself Ebola-free on Tuesday after completing a 42-day monitoring period following the discharge of its last patient on June 14 or June 16, according to different reports. The country had 20 confirmed cases and two deaths. Health authorities said all identified contacts were quarantined and completed mandatory follow-up without evidence of further transmission, though they urged residents to remain alert.

Congo's Ministry of Health reported 3,262 confirmed cases and 1,437 deaths in an outbreak declared May 15, concentrated in eastern Ituri province. That total approaches the country's 2018-2020 outbreak, the largest ever recorded there, which had more than 3,400 cases and over 2,200 deaths over roughly two years. Officials say the current outbreak is the fastest spreading on record. The 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak remains the worst in history with 28,000 cases and more than 11,000 deaths.

The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo virus, which has no approved vaccines or treatments. Efforts to contain it face challenges including rebel violence, health worker strikes over unpaid wages, and difficulty tracing contacts due to armed conflict and illegal mining. Patient zero has not been identified. The White House submitted a supplemental funding request to Congress on June 24 including $1.4 billion to fight the outbreak. A U.S. citizen infected in Congo was discharged from Frankfurt University Hospital on Tuesday after full recovery.