SRINAGAR: The World Health Organization has declared a global health emergency amid a worsening Ebola outbreak linked to the rare Bundibugyo strain in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
The WHO said that, as of May 16, 2026, authorities had identified eight laboratory-confirmed Ebola cases, 246 suspected infections and nearly 80 suspected deaths in parts of the DRC.
Health officials also reported cases in Kampala and Kinshasa, heightening fears that the virus may have spread beyond remote regions before containment measures were enforced.
The WHO warned that the outbreak could be substantially larger than current data suggests, stating that transmission may be “much larger than what is currently being detected and reported”.
Ebola is a highly dangerous viral disease that causes haemorrhagic fever in humans and primates, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. The virus spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids and typically begins with flu-like symptoms before progressing to vomiting, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, internal and external bleeding.
The outbreak has been classified as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), the WHO’s highest level of alert for health crises requiring urgent international coordination and response.
