Brussels 17.05.2026 The outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been spreading for weeks undetected in a part of the world where civil war aggravates the situation. The species of Ebola involved is rare, so there are fewer tools for treatment of the patients. The mortality statistics indicates that for 30 percent of the infected the outcome is lethal.
Nowadays it is a critical moment in an outbreak where there is uncertainty about the spread of the virus, because there are already almost 250 suspected cases and 80 deaths.
BREAKING:
Africa’s CDC Director is sounding the alarm on the new Ebola outbreak, describing the situation as “panic mode.” He confirmed that candidate vaccines are available and expressed hope of deploying them “in the coming weeks.”
He also warned that Western countries… https://t.co/C7E72qih8j pic.twitter.com/ZgyiWBDlly
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) May 17, 2026
Most Ebola outbreaks tend to be limited, but specialists are haunted by the 2014-16 outbreak, when 28,600 people in West Africa were infected in the largest ever outbreak of the disease.
A total of 336 cases, including both suspected and confirmed infections, and 87 deaths have been reported in the latest outbreak in Ituri Province in eastern DRC — the country's 17th Ebola outbreak since 1976, said Jean Kaseya, director general of Africa CDC, during an online… pic.twitter.com/ZatwBsXVhU
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) May 17, 2026
The declaration of a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization (WHO) does not mean we are in the early stages of a Covid-style pandemic.
🚨 BREAKING:
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION JUST ANNOUNCED AN INTERNATIONAL-LEVEL EMERGENCY DUE TO THE EBOLA EPIDEMIC
IN THREE REGIONS OF THE DRC, 246 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN INFECTED AND 80 HAVE DIED
SOURCES REPORT THAT THE WHO WILL INCREASE SANITARY CONTROLS AT BORDERS
SOMETHING… pic.twitter.com/aZ1iEPeiFC
— ᴛʀᴀᴄᴇʀ (@DeFiTracer) May 17, 2026
The risk Ebola poses to the whole world remains minimal. Even in the 2014-16 outbreak, there were only three cases in the UK and all were healthcare workers who had volunteered to help.
NEW – Africa CDC Chief is in "panic mode," over Ebola, says candidate vaccines exist and he hopes to, "have something in the next coming weeks," adds, "Western countries don't understand that, when Africa is affected, they are also at risk because people are flying every day." pic.twitter.com/IYXkj86tk1
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) May 17, 2026
“But it does reflect that the situation is complex enough to require international coordination,” says Dr Amanda Rojek, from the Pandemic Sciences Institute at the University of Oxford.
A growing Ebola outbreak in Congo has now spread to Uganda, with at least 65 people dead and hundreds of suspected cases reported. Health experts warn the situation is especially dangerous because the strain involved has no approved vaccine or treatment. pic.twitter.com/hyVwc7NsZT
— CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil (@CBSEveningNews) May 15, 2026
After all, there is still a significant threat to neighbouring countries like Uganda, South Sudan and Rwanda, considered high risk because of close trade and travel links.