Ebola outbreak declared health emergency ‘of international concern’ as new strain spreads Bundibugyo strain, which has no vaccine, has so far killed 88 and may have been spreading undetected for three weeks Ben Farmer Africa Correspondent. Sarah Newey Global Health Security Correspondent Published 17 May 2026 4:47am BST A burgeoning new Ebola outbreak may have already been spreading for more than three weeks and poses a high risk to nearby African countries, experts say. The epidemic was declared a public health emergency “of international concern” on Saturday night by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which called the outbreak an “extraordinary” event. So far there are at least 88 suspected virus deaths from 336 likely cases, according to the Africa Centre for Disease Control. The cause has been confirmed as the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is no approved vaccine or treatment. The virus is spreading in a border area of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).…