Thursday, May 21Thursday, May 21The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization (WHO), marking the country’s 17th outbreak since the virus was first identified in 1976. As of May 2026, the outbreak has resulted in 139 suspected deaths and nearly 600 suspected cases, primarily concentrated in the northeastern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu. Two cases have also been confirmed in Uganda, involving individuals who traveled from the DRC, raising concerns about regional spread. The WHO assesses the risk as high at national and regional levels but low globally .
The outbreak is believed to have begun several months ago, with experts suggesting an initial death was followed by a super-spreader event, contributing to its rapid escalation. The virus has since spread into urban areas, complicating containment efforts. The WHO has warned that, given the highly mobile population in the affected regions, it may take months to bring the outbreak under control .
The strain responsible for the outbreak is identified as the Bundibugyo virus, for which no approved treatments or vaccines currently exist. The WHO has stated that developing and deploying a vaccine could take six to nine months, further delaying response efforts. Security concerns and logistical challenges, including conflict and aid cuts, have hampered containment measures, with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warning that the outbreak could become severe due to delayed testing and misdiagnosis of the strain .
An American doctor infected with Ebola in the DRC was flown to Germany for treatment, while his wife and four children are being monitored for symptoms. Additional cases involving exposed individuals have prompted monitoring in other countries, including the Czech Republic, though authorities have assured the public that the risk of transmission remains negligible .
The WHO is actively evaluating candidate vaccines and treatments to address the outbreak, though the timeline for their availability remains uncertain. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has emphasized the need for an international response, dismissing criticism of the WHO’s initial response as unfounded .
> Background: **WHO declares Ebola outbreak a global emergency amid rising deaths and no vaccine.** — *15 hours ago*
More LFE coverage on this topic
The Guardian view on tackling Ebola: pathogens arent the only things that kill | Editorial Conflict and aid cuts are hampering the fight against an outbreak of the deadly virus centred in the Democratic Republic of the CongoThe Democratic Republic of the Congo has faced the deadly threat of Ebola 16 times since the virus was discovered there in 1976, with a 2018-20 outbreak killing almost 2,300 people. On Sunday, the World Health Organization declared the 17th outbreak to be a public health emergency of international concern. So far, 139 suspected deaths and almost 600 suspected cases of the haemorrhagic fever virus have been identified, nearly all in the DRCs north-eastern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, with two cases in Uganda of people who had travelled from the DRC.There is also anxiety about neighbouring South Sudan. The WHO fears the disease has been spreading for a couple of months and, given the highly mobile population, warns that it could take months more to bring it under control. While it judges the risk of global spread to be low, it thinks the regional risk is high. Continue reading...
theguardian · about 21 hours ago
Deadly Congo Ebola outbreak began months ago – and will continue to grow, warns WHO Experts believe the first death from the virus was followed by a super-spreader event
independent · 1 day ago
US doctor who contracted Ebola in DRC flown to Germany for treatment Dr Peter Staffords wife and four children are also being monitored for symptoms amid Ebola outbreak in CongoAn American doctor who contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been flown to Germany for treatment, along with his wife and four children, as the World Health Organization warned of the scale and speed of the outbreak.Authorities have reported at least 134 suspected deaths and more than 500 cases of the hemorrhagic Bundibugyo virus, which has no approved treatments or vaccines. The outbreak, which has spread into urban areas, has been declared a public health emergency requiring international response. Continue reading...
theguardian · 1 day ago
WHO says 600 suspected cases, 139 deaths in growing Ebola outbreak Numbers are expected to rise, the WHO warns, as European officials emphasise the risk of a European outbreak is low.
aljazeera · 1 day ago
WHO says Ebola outbreak likely began months ago The current Ebola outbreak probably began several months ago, according to the Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO). The threat is assessed as high at both national and regional levels, but low globally. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Investigations are under way into how the virus first emerged, Anaïs Legand, the WHOs head of health emergencies, told reporters on Wednesday. But given how widely it has spread, the organisation believes the outbreak probably began several months ago. Several of her colleagues have highlighted the complexity of such situations. On Wednesday, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also brushed off criticism from the US Secretary of State a day earlier. Marco Rubio had accused the WHO – which the United States now says it has left – of being slow to identify the new outbreak. Legand said in response that as soon as the WHO was informed, it had provided support to the Congolese authorities.
swissinfo · 1 day ago
Ebola outbreak suspected under the radar for months According to WHO experts, an Ebola outbreak in the DR Congo and Uganda probably began a couple of months ago. There are nearly 600 suspected cases, 139 suspected deaths, and 51 confirmed cases. WHO assesses the risk of an epidemic as high nationally and regionally, but low globally. The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo […]
cphpost · 1 day ago
Ebola in DR Congo: This could be a very bad outbreak, MSF health worker says A vaccination and epidemic response adviser who is about to fly out to DR Congo to try to help in the fight against Ebola has told FRANCE 24 that the signs are the current outbreak will be a serious one. Already more than 130 people have been killed, with over 500 more cases detected. John Johnson is vaccination and epidemic response advisor at MSF and is due to fly to DR Congo on Thursday. He explained that part of the problem is that tests had been carried out for a more common strain of Ebola, so they were coming back negative. He spoke to us in Perspective.
france24 · 1 day ago
Czech hospital to monitor American doctor exposed to Ebola in Uganda The Czech health ministry assured citizens that the risk to the public is zero.
politico.eu · 1 day ago
Vaccine to tackle Ebola outbreak will take six to nine months, says WHO The response to the current wave of the disease, which has caused 139 deaths in central Africa to date, has been hampered by security concerns Doses of the most promising potential vaccine against the Bundibugyo virus that is causing an Ebola outbreak in central Africa will not be available for six to nine months, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday, as the number of suspected cases rose to 600.Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the WHO, told a press briefing on the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, that there had been 139 deaths, with numbers expected to rise. Continue reading...
theguardian · 1 day ago
WHO evaluates vaccines as efforts ramp up to control Ebola outbreak The WHO said Tuesday it was examining whether any candidate vaccines or treatments could be used to rein in what it warned could be a lengthy Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The WHO has declared the surge of the highly contagious haemorrhagic fever, suspected to have killed 131 people and infected more than 500, an international health emergency.
france24 · 1 day ago
Fear grips eastern DR Congo amid deadly Ebola outbreak From Bukavu to Kinshasa, concern is spreading among residents and street vendors as Ebola cases rise.
aljazeera · 1 day ago
US authorities say missionary who contracted Ebola en route to Germany World Health Organization says death toll from outbreak has risen to 134, as experts warn of continued challenges.
aljazeera · 1 day ago
Latest Ebola outbreak tough to tackle In tonights edition, the World Health Organization is warning that its unlikely the Ebola outbreak will be over in the next two months. Also, a Kenyan transport strike triggered by rising fuel prices due to the Middle East war is paused after causing four deaths and major economic disruption. And pretrial hearings open in The Hague over a former Libyan prison commander that prosecutors say was known as the angel of death by terrified detainees.
france24 · 2 days ago
From screening at airports to scrapping flights: How should Europe respond to latest Ebola outbreak? As the United States is stepping up its measures in response to the latest Ebola outbreak, what is happening in Europe? Will it also screen passengers at airports, or go as far as cancelling flights? And how effective are these measures?
euronews · 2 days ago
DRC prepares Ebola treatment centres as death toll rises Health workers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are restoring Ebola treatment centres.
aljazeera · 2 days ago
Norway reports Europes first case of bird flu in a polar bear Norwegian authorities on Tuesday announced that bird flu has been documented in a polar bear for the first time in Europe, in the Svalbard region in the Arctic. The H5N5 variant of the virus was detected in samples taken from a male bear about one year old and a walrus found dead in mid-May on the icy archipelago, around 1,000km (600 miles) from the North Pole, the Norwegian Veterinary Institute said. The results are part of a trend in which highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses are...
south china morning post · 2 days ago
Why health officials are worried about containing the Ebola outbreak The ongoing Ebola surge has public health experts anxious about the worlds capacity to contain its spread.The big picture: Ebola epidemics arent new, but the current outbreak has been identified as the rare Bundibugyo strain, which has no vaccine, and is located in a populated, mobile and conflict-stricken part of the world.Thirty cases have been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), while two confirmed cases, including one death, have been recorded in Uganda from people who traveled from the DRC, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Monday.There are more than 500 suspected cases and 130 suspected deaths, he said. One American working in the DRC tested positive and is being taken to Germany for treatment, the CDC confirmed Monday.The World Health Organization has deemed the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.Context: Nasia Safdar, an infectious diseases physician and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, tells Axios that Ebola concerns her more than the recent hantavirus outbreak, noting the cruise ship environment where it spread is very different than the outside world. Only one hantavirus strain is known to spread human-to-human, but four Ebola strains cause illnesses in people, per the CDC. Hantavirus rarely spreads among people, but public health experts pointed to the recent outbreak as evidence that more research is needed into its spread.Once spillover to humans occurs, the Ebola virus is challenging to contain and regularly leads to the most life-threatening cases of viral hemorrhagic fevers. A 2014-2016 surge in West Africa infected more than 28,600 people and killed 11,325, per the WHO. The fatality rates in the past two Ebola outbreaks have ranged from 30-50.What theyre saying: This particular Ebola outbreak is troubling, says Jennifer Nuzzo, the director of the Pandemic Center at Brown University School of Public Health.Many people are worried that we could have another 2014 situation on our hands. That was the largest, deadliest outbreak of Ebola on record, and the conditions on the ground and the lack of tools to combat this particular Ebola virus make people very worried that we could see similar circumstances happen again, Nuzzo says.There was also an apparent delay in health authorities acknowledging the spread.We actually dont know how large the situation already is, but its certainly poised to become much, much larger, she says.Reality check: The risk to the American public remains low, but travel restrictions for those without U.S. passports coming from Uganda, DRC and South Sudan were announced Monday, along with enhanced port health protection response strategies. Friction point: While neither the Ebola or hantavirus outbreaks have been labeled pandemics, general public health reforms have not kept up with the rising pandemic risk, a report released Monday by the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board, co-convened by the WHO and World Bank, warned.Nuzzo is concerned about what dismantling USAID, which had helped lead past international responses to disease outbreaks, means for on-ground support for contact tracing and other efforts that she says are really the only tools we have at this point to stop the spread.She added: Trying to combat these very serious emergencies with a gutted public health workforce, and with fewer tools — its like were basically leaning into them with both hands tied behind our backs.Go deeper: Why we dont talk about COVID anymore
axios · 2 days ago
Why the Ebola outbreak is worrying public health officials The ongoing Ebola surge has public health experts anxious about the worlds capacity to contain its spread.The big picture: Ebola epidemics arent new, but the current outbreak has been identified as the rare Bundibugyo strain, which has no vaccine, and is located in a populated, mobile and conflict-stricken part of the world.Thirty cases have been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), while two confirmed cases, including one death, have been recorded in Uganda from people who traveled from the DRC, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Monday.There are more than 500 suspected cases and 130 suspected deaths, he said. One American working in the DRC tested positive and is being taken to Germany for treatment, the CDC confirmed Monday.The World Health Organization has deemed the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.Context: Nasia Safdar, an infectious diseases physician and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, tells Axios that Ebola concerns her more than the recent hantavirus outbreak, noting the cruise ship environment where it spread is very different than the outside world. Only one hantavirus strain is known to spread human-to-human, but four Ebola strains cause illnesses in people, per the CDC. Hantavirus rarely spreads among people, but public health experts pointed to the recent outbreak as evidence that more research is needed into its spread.Once spillover to humans occurs, the Ebola virus is challenging to contain and regularly leads to the most life-threatening cases of viral hemorrhagic fevers. A 2014-2016 surge in West Africa infected more than 28,600 people and killed 11,325, per the WHO. The fatality rates in the past two Ebola outbreaks have ranged from 30-50.What theyre saying: This particular Ebola outbreak is troubling, says Jennifer Nuzzo, the director of the Pandemic Center at Brown University School of Public Health.Many people are worried that we could have another 2014 situation on our hands. That was the largest, deadliest outbreak of Ebola on record, and the conditions on the ground and the lack of tools to combat this particular Ebola virus make people very worried that we could see similar circumstances happen again, Nuzzo says.There was also an apparent delay in health authorities acknowledging the spread.We actually dont know how large the situation already is, but its certainly poised to become much, much larger, she says.Reality check: The risk to the American public remains low, but travel restrictions for those without U.S. passports coming from Uganda, DRC and South Sudan were announced Monday, along with enhanced port health protection response strategies. Friction point: While neither the Ebola or hantavirus outbreaks have been labeled pandemics, general public health reforms have not kept up with the rising pandemic risk, a report released Monday by the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board, co-convened by the WHO and World Bank, warned.Nuzzo is concerned about what dismantling USAID, which had helped lead past international responses to disease outbreaks, means for on-ground support for contact tracing and other efforts that she says are really the only tools we have at this point to stop the spread.She added: Trying to combat these very serious emergencies with a gutted public health workforce, and with fewer tools — its like were basically leaning into them with both hands tied behind our backs.Go deeper: Why we dont talk about COVID anymore
axios · 2 days ago
Ebola deaths surge 30 percent as Berlin prepares for patient The World Health Organization and health leaders are discussing how best to contain the epidemic.
politico.eu · 2 days ago
Why this Ebola outbreak will be so difficult to contain
news.yahoo.com · 2 days ago
WHO considers use of experimental vaccines as Ebola cases and deaths rise in DRC WHO chief said he was deeply concerned after at least 500 suspected Ebola cases and 130 deaths reported in outbreak of Bundibugyo strainIts heartbreaking: panic in eastern DRC over return of EbolaGlobal health leaders are considering whether vaccines or medicines still in development could be used to fight Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as the World Health Organizations chief said he was deeply concerned by the outbreaks speed and scale.Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said there had been at least 500 suspected cases of Ebola and 130 suspected deaths in DRC since the new outbreak began – up from about 200 cases and 65 deaths when it was announced on Friday. Continue reading...
theguardian · 2 days ago
Ebola in the DRC needs the worlds attention now – if your neighbours house is on fire, you dont wait and watch | Devi Sridhar A rare strain, conflict and aid cuts make this outbreak more dangerous than ever. In the interconnected world we live in, the west cant afford to turn awayProf Devi Sridhar is chair of global public health at the University of EdinburghAt the weekend the World Health Organization (WHO) declared an outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) a public health emergency of international concern. This designation is the highest alarm level the WHO has to notify its member states about a health crisis that is considered extraordinary, has multi-country risk and requires a coordinated international response. Usually, the director general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, would convene a meeting of international health experts to discuss whether an outbreak meets the legal criteria, but for the first time in the agencys history, he went ahead and declared it after consulting the governments of the DRC and Uganda, and analysing the data presented.So what is happening now and why are health experts so concerned? We recently learned that there are several hundred suspected cases and 131 suspected deaths from Ebola in the eastern part of the DRC and possibly neighbouring Uganda. Ebola is one of the worlds most deadly infectious diseases, with symptoms progressing from fever and vomiting to internal bleeding and organ failure.Prof Devi Sridhar is chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh, and the author of How Not to Die (Too Soon) Continue reading...
theguardian · 2 days ago
WHO worried about scale and speed of Ebola outbreak Fresh alarm bells sounded from the World Health Organisation with the Democratic Republic of Congo in the grips of an Ebola outbreak. The body says its unlikely to disappear quickly, with the number of cases poised to rise.
france24 · 2 days ago
As WHO sounds alarm over Ebola in DRC, what can be learned from previous outbreaks? Conflict, mistrust and delayed detection could complicate response to emergency caused by Bundibugyo variantTo be around the centre of an Ebola outbreak is to become used to the smell of chlorine. At hospitals and government buildings, surfaces are sprayed with it and hands washed in a 0.05 solution that can kill the virus in 60 seconds.Infrared handheld thermometers take temperatures at airports and border crossings. Any indication of a fever prevents passage. Contact-tracing teams crisscross the countryside. Continue reading...
theguardian · 2 days ago
WHO official warns Ebola outbreak unlikely to be over in two months as cases and deaths rise in DRC At least 130 people thought to have been killed, says Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus before emergency meetingIts heartbreaking: panic in eastern DRC over return of EbolaThe director general of the World Health Organization has said he is deeply concerned about the scale and the speed of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said there had been at least 500 suspected cases of Ebola and 130 suspected deaths in DRC since the new outbreak began. Thirty cases had been confirmed in DRCs north-eastern province of Ituri, and one death and one case had been confirmed in Kampala, Uganda, he added. A US citizen has also tested positive and been transferred to Germany. Continue reading...
theguardian · 2 days ago
Rd Congo sounds alarm over Ebola outbreak RD Congo is to open three Ebola treatment centres as the World Health Organisation is also sending a team of experts to the country following an outbreak of the rare type of the virus. At least 131 have died, and over 500 have been infected. The US is also screening passengers coming from the outbreak-hit areas.
france24 · 2 days ago
Debate: Ebola outbreak in Congo: how to respond? The Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda are grappling with an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus. Several hundred suspected cases and over a hundred deaths have been reported so far, prompting the World Health Organisation (WHO) to declare an international public health emergency. There are no vaccines or treatments for the rare strain of the virus that is currently spreading.
eurotopics.net · 2 days ago
At least 131 dead in DR Congo Ebola outbreak One US national who contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been evacuated to Germany for as special treatment. Meanwhile the Bundibugyo strain of the virus keeps circulating in the DRC. Travel warnings and entry restrictions for non-US citizens who have recently been in affected regions have been issued, including Uganda, the DRC and South Sudan.
france24 · 2 days ago
WHO head deeply concerned by Ebola outbreak as cases and deaths surge in DRC At least 130 people thought to have been killed, says Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus before emergency meetingIts heartbreaking: panic in eastern DRC over return of EbolaThe director general of the World Health Organization has said he is deeply concerned about the scale and the speed of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said there had been at least 500 suspected cases of Ebola and 130 suspected deaths in DRC since the new outbreak began. Thirty cases had been confirmed in DRCs north-eastern province of Ituri, and one death and one case had been confirmed in Kampala, Uganda, he added. In addition, he said, there was one US citizen confirmed positive and transferred to Germany, as reported by the US. Continue reading...
theguardian · 2 days ago
Ebola: DR Congo death toll rises sharply to at least 131, WHO to host emergency meeting The death toll from an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has risen sharply to at least 131 from 513 suspected cases, Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba said, as the World Health Organization on Tuesday is set to host an emergency committee meeting.
france24 · 2 days ago