WHO declares Ebola outbreak in DRC and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern

Published Jun 4, 11:47 AM UTC

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This article reports on the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the WHO on May 16, 2026. As of the report, there are 344 confirmed cases and 60 deaths in DRC, with 15 cases and one death in Uganda, caused by the Bundibugyo strain. The piece features an interview with Dr. George M. Varghese, an infectious diseases professor at Christian Medical College, Vellore, who explains the nature of Ebola, reasons for concern, vaccine availability, and implications for India. It also discusses the broader trend of zoonotic diseases spilling over from animals to humans. The article includes a related news item about a Sudanese national with fever detected at Hyderabad airport amid the Ebola scare.

Source report

Dr. George M. Varghese explains what Ebola is, why there is concern about the disease, what India needs to do about it, and why an increasing number of diseases are spilling over from the animal world into humans.

Published: June 04, 2026 05:07 pm IST Author: Zubeda Hamid

If it’s not one infectious disease, then it’s another. This month, the world was rocked with reports of an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.

On May 16, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern” (PHEIC). So far, there have been:

344 confirmed Ebola cases including 60 deaths in the DRC
15 confirmed cases including one death in neighbouring Uganda

This time around, the outbreak has been caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus.

Key Questions Addressed in This Episode

What is Ebola, and why is there a high degree of concern about it?
Do we have vaccines to treat Ebola?
How concerned should India be, and what do we need to know as individuals?

Guest & Credits

Guest: Dr. George M. Varghese, Professor of Infectious Diseases, Christian Medical College, Vellore
Host: Zubeda Hamid
Producer: Jude Weston

For more episodes of In Focus: Sudanese national with fever detected at Hyderabad airport amid Ebola scare, shifted to Gandhi Hospital

Published - June 04, 2026 05:07 pm IST

Source

The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Regional

Original headline: In Focus Podcast | What you need to know about the Ebola outbreak

Original language: EN-US

Part of this Story

WHO Declares Global Emergency Over Rare Bundibugyo Ebola Outbreak in Africa

See the full Story: all sources and camp coverage