WHO declares international Ebola emergency over rare Congo outbreak
Shafaq News- Geneva
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday declared an international health emergency over a rare Ebola outbreak spreading across the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, warning of cross-border risks and the absence of approved vaccines or treatments for the virus strain involved.
The WHO said the outbreak, linked to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, had caused 80 suspected deaths, 246 suspected cases, and eight confirmed infections in Congo’s Ituri province as of Saturday.
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) May 17, 2026
This marks Congo’s 17th Ebola outbreak since the virus was first identified there in 1976. The deadliest Ebola epidemic, which struck West Africa between 2014 and 2016, killed more than 11,000 people.
The outbreak could be significantly larger because of rising suspected infections and high positivity rates among tested samples, while cases linked to cross-border travel have already been documented, the agency said. Unlike the more common Ebola-Zaire strain, the Bundibugyo variant has no approved vaccines or targeted therapeutics, making the outbreak “extraordinary.”
The UN health agency urged neighboring countries to activate emergency response systems and strengthen border screening while avoiding travel or trade restrictions that could push crossings underground and evade monitoring.
