Following WHO reports of 53 confirmed cases, 600 suspected cases, and 139 suspected deaths from the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda;

Anaelle Tannen, Senior Infectious Disease Analyst at GlobalData, a leading intelligence and productivity platform, offers her view:

“On May 17, 2026, the WHO declared the Ebola outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), the highest level of alert that the organisation can issue. On May 20, 2026, the WHO assessed the risk of the epidemic as high at the national and regional levels, but low at the global level. Thus, while highly serious, this is not expected to become a pandemic, with the WHO advising against the closure of international borders.

“Ebola is a highly contagious viral disease that can cause severe illness and has a high fatality rate.  Ebola viruses normally infect animals, typically fruit bats, but outbreaks among humans can sometimes start when people eat or handle infected animals. It spreads through direct contact with the body fluids of infected people or wild animals, and early symptoms often include fever, weakness, headache, vomiting and bleeding. The virus is most commonly found in Central and West Africa.

“The specific strain causing this outbreak is known as Bundibugyo and has not been seen for over a decade. It has been involved in two previous outbreaks, in which around 30% of those affected died. Dealing with this specific strain is difficult due to a lack of effective therapies. While three antivirals and five vaccines are approved for Ebola worldwide, according to GlobalData’s Marketed Products Database, none are effective against the Bundibugyo strain. However, experts are looking into the possibility that some of these products could be deployed under emergency protocols on the basis that they may provide some degree of cross-protection against Bundibugyo.

“An additional complication is that the outbreak is taking place in a conflict zone, with a quarter of a million people displaced from their homes and people moving across borders into neighboring countries, which complicates surveillance, contact tracing, and the delivery of healthcare, further contributing to the spread of disease.

“This situation requires international coordination and cooperation to understand the extent of the outbreak, to coordinate surveillance, prevention and response efforts, and to ensure this does not become a global pandemic. Nonetheless, the risk Ebola poses outside Central and East Africa is minimal as of now.”