WHO Declares Ebola Outbreak in Congo and Uganda as Cases Reach 750

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the health ministries of Congo and Uganda have declared an Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus. On 16 May 2026, he determined that the virus constituted a public health emergency of international concern. By 21 May, Congo had reported 750 suspected cases and 177 deaths, with 85 confirmed cases identified. In Uganda, two of the 85 confirmed cases and 10 deaths were reported, while two imported cases entered the country and no local transmission has been confirmed. A U.S. citizen working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was infected and transferred to Germany for treatment. A second U.S. citizen who had contact with the patient also fell ill. The figures underscore the scale of the outbreak across the two countries and the cross-border public health risk posed by the virus. WHO’s declaration places the situation among the most serious international health threats and is intended to mobilize a coordinated response.