New York: The World Health Organization (WHO) said the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has resulted in 321 confirmed cases, along with 116 suspected cases, marking a large drop in the number of suspected cases as hundreds were ruled out after investigation.
The agency said there had been 48 deaths and six people have recovered in Congo. In Uganda there have been nine confirmed cases and one associated death, WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier told reporters in Geneva.
The WHO said earlier that there were 906 suspected cases of the Bundibugyo Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including 223 suspected deaths that were being investigated. Later Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, said in the Financial Times that more than 1,100 suspected cases were being investigated.
Lindmeier said the data suggested hundreds of cases had been discounted. “They have been cleared out and have either other diseases or have just had fever and nothing else,” Lindmeier said, adding that the numbers would fluctuate over time as people get tested.
Testing has been a challenge in this outbreak as initially the more common tests used for Ebola did not detect the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no approved vaccine, and capacity has been limited.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website also listed 116 suspected cases, and added: “On May 29, the DRC Ministry of Health updated their total suspect case count to remove suspected cases that have been ruled out after investigation and suspected deaths that are pending the results of ongoing investigation.”
India issues Ebola advisory, says no cases yetNew Delhi: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued a public health advisory on Ebola virus disease, stating that no cases have been reported in India so far while urging heightened vigilance among individuals who have recently travelled through Ebola-affected countries. The government stressed the importance of early reporting of symptoms. “Health advisory on Ebola disease. As on June 2, 2026, there are no cases of Ebola disease reported in the country,” the ministry said in a post on X. Stressing the importance of early reporting of symptoms, it noted that timely action could save lives and help prevent the spread of the disease. The advisory comes amid a fresh outbreak of Ebola in parts of Africa, prompting health authorities worldwide to strengthen surveillance and issue precautionary guidelines. The Ministry advised anyone who has traveled from or transited through an Ebola-affected country within the past 21 days to closely monitor their health. |
