The University of Oxford's Oxford Vaccine Group launched Phase I clinical trials for its ChAdOx1 BDBV vaccine against the Bundibugyo virus, which is responsible for an ongoing Ebola outbreak in the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Reuters reported on July 13. Scientists will assess the vaccine's safety and the immune response in 50 healthy adults in Oxford, with vaccinations expected to start in the coming weeks following approval by British regulators.

Fatalities linked to the Ebola epidemic in northeastern Congo have risen to 702, with a total of 1,926 laboratory-confirmed cases. On July 11, Congolese authorities stated that the Tshopo and Haut-Uele provinces should now be considered epidemic zones following the identification of Bundibugyo cases. A total of 20 cases have been identified in Uganda since the outbreak began in May, though no new cases have been detected since June 21.