WHO Declares Ebola PHEIC as Bundibugyo Strain Kills 80 in DRC

WHO Declares Global Health Emergency for Ebola Outbreak

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified a new Ebola outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), the most severe global health warning under international law, as announced on May 17, 2026. A minimum of 246 suspected cases and over 80 deaths have been reported in Congo’s Ituri province, according to African health authorities. The outbreak involves a new strain of Ebola with no available vaccine and is sweeping across the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.

Outbreak Scope and Geographic Distribution

The outbreak is concentrated around the mining towns of Mongwalu and Rwampara, although suspected infections have also surfaced in the provincial capital Bunia. This announcement follows a swift increase in cases associated with the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, with health officials cautioning that cross-border transmission, population displacement and ongoing conflict in eastern Congo are heightening the risk of further spread.

Uganda has confirmed a deadly imported case involving a Congolese patient who travelled to Kampala for treatment before succumbing to the disease. Authorities state there is currently no evidence of widespread local transmission within Uganda, but emergency surveillance and screening measures have been intensified.

Vaccine and Medical Response Challenges

The Bundibugyo strain is particularly concerning as there are currently no approved vaccines specifically targeting it. Most existing Ebola vaccines were developed for the more common Zaire strain, which has caused previous deadly outbreaks in central and west Africa.

The WHO stated the outbreak meets the criteria for a coordinated international response due to the potential for regional spread and the operational challenges confronting health workers on the ground. However officials refrained from categorising the outbreak as a pandemic emergency.

Coordinated International Response

The WHO, Africa CDC and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are now coordinating support efforts, including surveillance, laboratory testing, contact tracing and emergency response deployments.

Health experts have also voiced concerns over the security situation in eastern Congo, where armed groups, mass displacement and poor sanitation are complicating efforts to trace contacts and isolate infections.

This marks the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s 17th recorded Ebola outbreak since the virus was first identified in the country in 1976. The last outbreak officially ended in December 2025.

Related: Hantavirus Cases Connected to Welsh Residents

Separately, a “small number of Welsh residents” have been connected to a hantavirus outbreak, according to Public Health Wales. The individuals concerned were either aboard the MV Hondius cruise vessel or had been in contact with those who were, but were not “showing symptoms” and appeared “well”.

Public Health Wales revealed the organisation is collaborating with the Welsh Government, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and other bodies to “take appropriate action”. The organisation stated there are presently no confirmed cases of hantavirus in Wales and the danger to the public remains low. The outbreak aboard the Dutch cruise liner has resulted in at least 11 reported cases amongst passengers, including three fatalities.