Ebola in Africa: Why it's a constant threat

Published 7 June 2026 · health

Ebola is highly contagious and deadly. It spreads internationally, such as in the May 2026 outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda

Ebola is highly contagious and deadly. It spreads internationally, such as in the May 2026 outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. But that doesn't automatically make it a pandemic. The World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern on May 17, 2026, following reports of an outbreak of Ebola, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. But the WHO said the outbreak did "not meet the criteria of pandemic emergency." This comes just after the hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius and — perhaps poignantly — as the WHO meets for its 79th General Assembly (May 18-23, 2026). What you need to know about Ebola Ebola damages blood vessels and causes severe internal bleeding It spreads from other animals to humans and among humans through close contact with blood, organs, secretions and other bodily fluids Some forms of Ebola can be prevented with vaccines and treated with medicines First discovered in 1976, the largest known outbreak between 2014 and 2016 spread through Central Africa, killing 10,000 people Ebola remains an ongoing challenge for people and authorities in affected regions. Vaccine development could help lessen the burden. Ebola: What to know after WHO declares health emergency To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Most often, Ebola outbreaks have been caused by the Zaire type of the Ebola virus (Zaire ebolavirus) and the Sudan type (Sudan ebolavirus).

During the most recent outbreaks, which have had high numbers of infected people, researchers have used these live situations to test vaccines in development. What have been the most severe Ebola outbreaks? The largest Ebola outbreak came four decades after the disease was originally identified. Between 2014 and 2016, Ebola spread from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in Central Africa to Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone in the west of the continent. There were more than 28,600 infections and 10,000 deaths. From 2018 to 2020, Ebola spread again from the DRC to Uganda. There have been further outbreaks in Gabon, South Africa, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Mali and Senegal, killing at least 2,000 people. What is the difference between the Ebola virus and Sudan virus? Ebola was discovered near the Ebola River, during two simultaneous outbreaks in 1976 — in Zaire, now DRC, and South Sudan. Ebola virus disease (EVD), named after the river, is the deadliest form of the virus. It has a survival rate of 10% of cases. Sudan virus disease (SVD) causes death in about 50% of cases. The third most common variant in Africa is the Bundibugyo virus, discovered in 2007. Symptoms are similar: fever, nausea, weakness, loss of appetite and unexplained bleeding. Chest pain can occur with SVD, but less so with EVD. How is Ebola virus treated?