WHO chief says Ebola outbreak in Congo is 'spreading rapidly' and upgrades risk assessment
The spread of *** particular strain of the Ebola virus with no vaccine to fight it is threatening to explode. The World Health Organization says there are more than 50 confirmed infections and nearly 600 suspected cases, with close to 140 deaths suspected to be the result of the Bundi Bujo strain that's spreading in the DRC and Uganda. And the WHO believes the virus has Been spreading for months. We're several weeks behind, and when the virus takes 2 to 21 days, you know, to incubate, what it means is people have already been exposed, so we're going to continue to see more cases before it can get under control. At least one American infected, *** US doctor who'd been working in the DRC, is being treated in Berlin. Health authorities say, while six high-risk contacts of that American are. Moved to Europe for observation. The WHO, though noting global risk remains low, is concerned with the scale and speed of this Ebola outbreak, declaring *** public health emergency requiring an international response, listing five reasons the early spread, cases in several urban areas, healthcare worker deaths, area population movement, and the virus strain with no vaccine or treatments. About 17 tons of lab equipment and personnel are being dispatched from the WHO, Africa CDC, and the Congolese government. The US is also coordinating shipment of an experimental treatment to the region for potential use in Americans, according to US Health and Human Services, while the World Health Organization says it could take 6 to 9 months to develop *** vaccine specific to this strain of Ebola, Brian Abel reporting.
WHO chief says Ebola outbreak in Congo is 'spreading rapidly' and upgrades risk assessment
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Updated: 9:51 AM EDT May 22, 2026
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The head of the World Health Organization said Friday that the Ebola outbreak in Congo is “spreading rapidly” and now poses a “very high” risk at the national level.WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the U.N. health agency was revising upward to “very high” its assessment of the risk within Congo, which had previously been deemed as high. The risk for spread remains low at global levels, he told reporters.The WHO chief noted that 82 cases have been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with seven confirmed deaths, “but we know the epidemic in DRC is much larger.”He said there are now almost 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths. The situation in neighboring Uganda is “stable” with two cases confirmed in people who had traveled from Congo, with one death.Earlier on Friday, the United Nations said it released $60 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund to accelerate the response in Congo and in the region. The U.S. has pledged $23 million in funding to bolster the response in Congo and Uganda, and said it would also fund the establishment of up to 50 Ebola treatment clinics in the affected regions of Congo and Uganda.Ugandan authorities said they were not aware of any treatment centers being set up by the U.S.
GENEVA — The head of the World Health Organization said Friday that the Ebola outbreak in Congo is “spreading rapidly” and now poses a “very high” risk at the national level.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the U.N. health agency was revising upward to “very high” its assessment of the risk within Congo, which had previously been deemed as high.
The risk for spread remains low at global levels, he told reporters.
The WHO chief noted that 82 cases have been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with seven confirmed deaths, “but we know the epidemic in DRC is much larger.”
He said there are now almost 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths. The situation in neighboring Uganda is “stable” with two cases confirmed in people who had traveled from Congo, with one death.
Earlier on Friday, the United Nations said it released $60 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund to accelerate the response in Congo and in the region. The U.S. has pledged $23 million in funding to bolster the response in Congo and Uganda, and said it would also fund the establishment of up to 50 Ebola treatment clinics in the affected regions of Congo and Uganda.
Ugandan authorities said they were not aware of any treatment centers being set up by the U.S.
