A health emergency has been declared by WHO in Congo and Uganda as the number of suspected Ebola cases and deaths reached 300. The Bundibugyo virus, a rare and little-known strain of the Ebola disease, is causing the outbreak. The WHO called on countries to take immediate action but expressed disappointment with past global responses, which it said only partially addressed the issue.
2 children found dead in burned vehicle; mother charged with capital murder, San Antonio police say Window company owner who left San Antonio to avoid disgruntled customers arrested on felony theft chargesA health official uses a thermometer to screen people in front of Kibuli Muslim Hospital in Kampala, Uganda , Saturday, May 16, 2026.
A health worker wearing protective gear walks outside the a hospital in Bunia, Congo, Saturday, May 16, 2026. A health official uses a thermometer to screen people in front of Kibuli Muslim Hospital in Kampala, Uganda, Saturday, May 16, 2026.
in Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern on Sunday after more than 300 suspected cases and 88 deaths.does not meet the criteria of a pandemic emergency like the COVID-19 pandemic, and advised against the closure of international borders.is highly contagious and can be contracted via bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen. The disease it causes is rare, but severe and often fatal.
Health authorities have confirmed the current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a rare variant of the Ebola disease that has no approved therapeutics or vaccines. Although more than 20 Ebola outbreaks have taken place in Congo and Uganda, this is only the third time the Bundibugyo virus has been reported.
Congo accounts for all except two of the cases, both of which were reported in neighboring Uganda, the WHO said.in Congo's eastern province of Ituri, close to Uganda and South Sudan, on Friday. On Saturday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported 336 suspected cases and 87 deaths.
“There are significant uncertainties to the true number of infected persons and geographic spread associated with this event at the present time. In addition, there is limited understanding of the epidemiological links with known or suspected cases,” Tedros said. Uganda on Saturday confirmed one case it said was imported from Congo, and said the patient died at a hospital in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, and the WHO said that a second case has been reported in Kampala.
The two cases had no apparent links to each other and both patients had traveled from Congo, it added. The Bundibugyo virus was first detected in Uganda’s Bundibugyo district during a 2007-2008 outbreak that infected 149 people and killed 37 people. The second time was in 2012 in an outbreak in Isiro, Congo, where 57 cases and 29 deaths were reported. WHO’s emergency declaration is meant to spur donor agencies and countries into action.
However, the global response to previous declarations has been mixed.in Congo and elsewhere in Africa a global emergency, experts at the time said it did little to get supplies like diagnostic tests, medicines and vaccines to affected countries quickly. Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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