The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Central Africa a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” (PHEIC), as health authorities race to contain the virus amid rising infections and deaths.
The outbreak, centred in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has already become one of the largest Ebola epidemics on record and has spread across borders into neighbouring Uganda.
Where the outbreak has been detected
According to CNN, the WHO officially declared the emergency on 17 May 2026 after the first confirmed cases emerged in DRC’s Ituri province. Uganda has also reported confirmed infections linked to the outbreak.
BBC reported that DRC has recorded more than 1,000 suspected Ebola cases and at least 246 deaths, while Uganda has confirmed nine cases and one death.
The United States has introduced travel restrictions affecting certain travellers arriving from the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan, CNN reported.
Could the virus have been spreading for months?
The Telegraph reported that local medics in eastern DRC believe the outbreak may have begun as early as January 2026.
According to information shared with international aid organisations, including the International Rescue Committee (IRC), ActionAid and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), a patient treated in the town of Rwampara in late January may have infected eight healthcare workers before dying in February.
If confirmed, this would indicate that Ebola circulated undetected for around four months before the Congolese Ministry of Health officially announced the outbreak on 15 May, The Telegraph reported.
Previously, the WHO had identified a healthcare worker in Bunia who developed symptoms on 25 April as the likely index case.
Why experts are concerned
Health organisations say the true scale of the outbreak remains unclear.
According to The Telegraph, only about 20 per cent of known contacts of Ebola patients in the DRC have been traced, leaving thousands of potential contacts unaccounted for.
MSF described the situation as “deeply alarming”. Speaking to BBC, MSF Deputy Director Alan Gonzales said no previous Ebola outbreak had recorded so many cases so quickly after being declared.
He added that hundreds of samples from suspected patients remain untested and that aid efforts have struggled to keep pace with the spread of the virus.
Challenges facing containment efforts
WHO officials cited by CNN said the virus may have circulated for months before detection due to weak health infrastructure, ongoing conflict and difficulties associated with the particular Ebola strain involved in the outbreak.
The Telegraph reported that misinformation, conspiracy theories, mistrust of authorities and insecurity have complicated response efforts. Violence against healthcare workers and treatment facilities has also been reported.
Last week, an MSF-run treatment centre in Rwampara was attacked by people attempting to recover the bodies of relatives who had died from Ebola, according to The Telegraph.
BBC noted that conflict in eastern DRC has repeatedly hindered the outbreak response, while border and airport closures have delayed humanitarian assistance and containment operations.
The role of funding and international support
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus visited Ituri province to assess response efforts and identify operational challenges.
According to The Telegraph, Tedros said the WHO had received only about one-third of the funding needed for activities such as contact tracing, testing and treatment operations.
The United Kingdom recently pledged £21 million to support containment efforts in the DRC, The Telegraph reported.
However, critics noted that the amount represents only a fraction of the funding Britain provided during the 2014 West African Ebola outbreak.
Understanding the Bundibugyo strain
The current outbreak involves the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, a relatively rare strain.
According to both The Telegraph and BBC, there are currently no licensed vaccines or proven treatments for this strain.
BBC reported that the Bundibugyo variant kills roughly one-third of those infected.
How Ebola spreads
CNN and BBC reported that Ebola spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person, including blood, vomit, diarrhoea, saliva, urine, semen and sweat.
Transmission can also occur through contact with contaminated objects such as needles, bedding and clothing.
Scientists believe Ebola outbreaks often begin when humans come into contact with infected wild animals, particularly through hunting, handling or consuming them, according to CNN.
WHO officials have also warned that traditional funeral practices involving physical contact with the deceased can contribute to transmission.
How dangerous is Ebola?
According to CNN, Ebola is among the world’s deadliest viruses and has caused more than 15,000 deaths since it was first identified in 1976 in what are now the DRC and South Sudan.
The largest outbreak occurred in West Africa between 2014 and 2016, causing more than 11,000 deaths.
CNN reported that Ebola’s basic reproduction number (R₀) is approximately two, meaning each infected person can, on average, infect two others in a susceptible population.
Efforts to improve detection
BBC reported that health authorities have established a laboratory in Bunia capable of returning Ebola test results within 24 hours.
Previously, samples had to be transported more than 1,500 kilometres to Kinshasa for analysis, creating delays that health officials feared could hinder containment efforts.
Public awareness campaigns, hand-washing stations and health advisories have also been introduced in affected areas.
International monitoring
The outbreak is being closely monitored beyond Africa.
According to BBC, Brazilian health authorities are investigating a suspected Ebola case involving a traveller who recently returned from the DRC and is currently being isolated while tests are conducted.
