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Ebola in Africa is a constant threat: Symptoms, treatment and vaccines
Key takeaways
- You need to know Ebola is highly contagious and deadly.
- 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).
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
You need to know Ebola is highly contagious and deadly. It's spreads internationally, such as in May 2026 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda outbreak. But that doesn't automatically make it a pandemic.
https://p.dw.com/p/4q6p1Ebola can be contagious even after death Image: Jerome Delay/AP/picture alliance Advertisement 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."
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