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May-2026 | DRC/Uganda New Ebola Strain Outbreak

⚠️☣️🌍🌎🌏
Former CDC Director Robert Redfield Warns Ebola Outbreak Could Become “Very Significant Pandemic”:

Former CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield warned during a NewsNation interview that the ongoing Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda could become a “very significant pandemic.”

Redfield said:
“I suspect this is going to become a very significant pandemic, probably going to leak into Tanzania, leak into southern Sudan, maybe leak into Rwanda.”

He also said the outbreak was not detected until there were already more than 100 cases, which is later than typical Ebola outbreak detection.

The current outbreak involves Bundibugyo virus disease, a type of Ebola disease. According to CDC’s May 21 update, the DRC and Uganda Ministries of Health reported 575 suspected cases, 51 confirmed cases, and 148 suspected deaths. CDC also says no Ebola cases from this outbreak have been confirmed in the United States, and that the overall risk to the American public and travelers remains low.

WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17, 2026, but specifically stated that it does not meet the criteria of a “pandemic emergency” under the International Health Regulations.

There is currently no approved vaccine or specific therapeutic for Bundibugyo virus disease; treatment is supportive care. WHO notes the outbreak is complicated by insecurity, population movement, weak contact tracing, healthcare-associated transmission concerns, and cross-border spread risk.

Sources:
🔴NewsNation video, Ex-CDC director on Ebola, “Going to be significant outbreak” | Elizabeth Vargas Reports:
🔗

🔴The Hill article, Former CDC director on Ebola outbreak, “I suspect this is going to become a very significant pandemic”:
🔗https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5889058-robert-redfield-cdc-ebola-outbreak-pandemic/

🔴AOL mirror of The Hill article:
🔗Former CDC director on Ebola outbreak: ‘I suspect this is going to become a very significant pandemic’ - AOL

🔴CDC, Ebola Disease: Current Situation:
🔗Ebola Disease: Current Situation

🔴CDC Health Alert Network, Ebola Disease Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda:
🔗Ebola Disease Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda

🔴WHO, Epidemic of Ebola Disease caused by Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda determined a public health emergency of international concern:
🔗Epidemic of Ebola Disease caused by Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda determined a public health emergency of international concern

🔴WHO Disease Outbreak News, Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus, Democratic Republic of the Congo & Uganda:
🔗Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus, Democratic Republic of the Congo & Uganda

🔴U.S. State Department, Worldwide Caution:
🔗Worldwide Caution

@willrod1989 thoughts?
 
Torch said:
At what point is this declared, by a competent authority, to have broken containment?
Click to expand...
At what point do you declare a competent authority? Surely not the WHO 🤣😂🤣. Surely not local , state or country governments. Eg. Covid -19.
Individual countries well aware of situation didn't act to either
A. Shut down out going from original source eg. Said country 1st detection.
B. GLOBAL countries failed to shut down incoming from said infected countries.
Global tourism / travel should be shut down as soon as such is detected until contained to reduce spread. Personally covid was well i won't go there as many get flustered. But ebola is a whole different situation especially considering the new strain.
 
NuclearID said:
⚠️☣️🌍🌎🌏
Former CDC Director Robert Redfield Warns Ebola Outbreak Could Become “Very Significant Pandemic”:

Former CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield warned during a NewsNation interview that the ongoing Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda could become a “very significant pandemic.”

Redfield said:
“I suspect this is going to become a very significant pandemic, probably going to leak into Tanzania, leak into southern Sudan, maybe leak into Rwanda.”

He also said the outbreak was not detected until there were already more than 100 cases, which is later than typical Ebola outbreak detection.

The current outbreak involves Bundibugyo virus disease, a type of Ebola disease. According to CDC’s May 21 update, the DRC and Uganda Ministries of Health reported 575 suspected cases, 51 confirmed cases, and 148 suspected deaths. CDC also says no Ebola cases from this outbreak have been confirmed in the United States, and that the overall risk to the American public and travelers remains low.

WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17, 2026, but specifically stated that it does not meet the criteria of a “pandemic emergency” under the International Health Regulations.

There is currently no approved vaccine or specific therapeutic for Bundibugyo virus disease; treatment is supportive care. WHO notes the outbreak is complicated by insecurity, population movement, weak contact tracing, healthcare-associated transmission concerns, and cross-border spread risk.

Sources:
🔴NewsNation video, Ex-CDC director on Ebola, “Going to be significant outbreak” | Elizabeth Vargas Reports:
🔗

🔴The Hill article, Former CDC director on Ebola outbreak, “I suspect this is going to become a very significant pandemic”:
🔗https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5889058-robert-redfield-cdc-ebola-outbreak-pandemic/

🔴AOL mirror of The Hill article:
🔗Former CDC director on Ebola outbreak: ‘I suspect this is going to become a very significant pandemic’ - AOL

🔴CDC, Ebola Disease: Current Situation:
🔗Ebola Disease: Current Situation

🔴CDC Health Alert Network, Ebola Disease Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda:
🔗Ebola Disease Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda

🔴WHO, Epidemic of Ebola Disease caused by Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda determined a public health emergency of international concern:
🔗Epidemic of Ebola Disease caused by Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda determined a public health emergency of international concern

🔴WHO Disease Outbreak News, Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus, Democratic Republic of the Congo & Uganda:
🔗Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus, Democratic Republic of the Congo & Uganda

🔴U.S. State Department, Worldwide Caution:
🔗Worldwide Caution

@willrod1989 thoughts?
Click to expand...
Honestly, I think he is using the term pandemic too loosely to describe the current situation. The technical definition of a pandemic, as defined by the WHO, is sustained community transmission of a disease in two or more WHO regions. While that could indeed be a possibility, the chances of that happening are low. It is more likely that this will become a large regional epidemic in Africa with some "spillover" cases reported in other regions. That would make this current outbreak look similar to the 2014 outbreak.

With that being said, it is possible for this outbreak to meaningfully spread outside of the region, especially if public health authorities in other regions are not vigilant about contact tracing or alerting the public to the symptoms of this disease. However, the transmission dynamics of Ebola allows for chains of infection to be quickly broken as long as isolation and quarantine are followed. Thankfully, Ebola does not transmit before the onset of symptoms, thus allowing anyone who might be infected to quarantine and report symptoms to medical authorities right away.
 
Here is the current situation as of 23 May 2026 at 00:35 UTC:

  • The World Health Organization (WHO) has upgraded its risk assessment of Ebola virus disease inside the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to very high. They have also upgraded their risk assessment for the region to high, while the global risk continues to remain low.
  • The Congolese Ministry of Health reports 64 confirmed cases and nearly 750 suspected cases. The official death toll has reached 177 deaths.
  • While the outbreak is currently centered in Ituri Province, there is active transmission occurring in North Kivu province (including the large city of Goma), and a newly confirmed case has been reported in South Kivu province.
  • WHO officials have confirmed that no new cases have been reported in Uganda as of Friday.
  • Scientists at Oxford University in the UK have announced that they are fast-tracking a new Bundibugyo virus vaccine that uses the same technology as the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. It is expected that human trials will begin within 2-3 months.
  • All United States citizens who have been in the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan in the past 21 days are legally required to enter the United States through Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) for enhanced screening.
I will continue to issue updates as the situation warrants.
 
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