The World Health Organization has declared a public health emergency of international concern over an outbreak of Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. At the same time, the organization said the outbreak does not meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency.
According to the WHO, as of May 16, 2026, eight laboratory-confirmed cases, 246 suspected cases and 80 suspected deaths had been recorded in Ituri province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo across at least three health zones. In Uganda, two laboratory-confirmed cases, including one fatality, were recorded in Kampala, with no apparent link between them, involving two people who had arrived from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.