WHO declares global health emergency for Ebola: What Americans should know

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency on May 17 over an outbreak of the Bundibugyo Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As of May 16, the virus has killed at least 80 people and infected nearly 250 in eastern Congo, with cases concentrated in the Ituri province. Uganda reported two confirmed cases in Kampala, including one death, among travelers from Congo, while another case was confirmed in Kinshasa, Congo’s capital, involving an individual returning from Ituri. The WHO emphasized that the outbreak does not yet meet pandemic thresholds under international health regulations. Health experts, including former CDC Director Tom Frieden, described the situation as serious, noting that cases already exceed those reported at the start of the 2014 West Africa Ebola epidemic. Frieden warned that insecurity in Congo, marked by civil unrest and armed conflict, complicates containment efforts. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) activated its emergency response center and is coordinating with partners to support surveillance and contact tracing. The CDC advised travelers to the affected regions to take enhanced precautions, though it declined to specify if any Americans had been exposed. The WHO highlighted neighboring countries with land borders as high-risk due to travel and trade, with Ebola spreading through bodily fluids or contaminated objects. Critics of past U.S. global health policies, including the Trump administration’s withdrawal from WHO, have raised concerns about weakened outbreak surveillance. Frieden called the U.S. actions ‘reckless,’ stressing the need for an urgent international response to prevent further spread. The Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to requests for comment.