1140: Inside the Growing Ebola Outbreak in Central Africa

JOHN SHEEHAN:
This is Public Health Review Morning Edition for Friday, June 5th, 2026. I'm John Sheehan with news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. Today, inside the growing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is raising alarm among global health officials. Meredith Allen, ASTHO's vice president of health security, returns to break down what makes this outbreak so concerning, and why delayed detection, remote healthcare conditions, and limited medical countermeasures have contributed to its rapid growth. This interview was recorded on May 26. Since then, case counts have come down and confirmed numbers are as follows as of June 2: In the DRC- 363 confirmed cases and 62 confirmed deaths, in Uganda -15 confirmed cases, 1 confirmed death. Also, on May 29th, the DRC Ministry of Health updated their total suspected case count to remove suspected cases and deaths that were ruled out after investigation and/or laboratory testing. Meredith Allen, welcome back to the show.

MEREDITH ALLEN:

Thanks for having me.

SHEEHAN:
So, Meredith, let's talk about Ebola. The situation has kind of escalated. What's the current status of the outbreak in the DRC?

ALLEN:
In early May, a cluster of severe illness was recognized in healthcare workers in the northeastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, or the DRC. Initially, tests were negative for Ebola virus, but later the samples did test positive for the Bundibugyo virus. This is one of the four types of viruses that can cause Ebola disease in people. The specific type of virus that's causing the Ebola in this outbreak is important because there are some significant differences in treatment and outbreak prevention activities, similar to how it was important that we knew it was the Andes strain, specifically, of Hantavirus in the recent Hantavirus outbreak. With this strain of Ebola, there is no vaccine or treatment available. It is important to provide those who are ill with care while their body fights the virus to recover. As of May 26, there are over 900 suspected cases and over 200 suspected deaths in the DRC. Additionally, they've confirmed over 100 cases and 10 deaths. In Uganda, they are also confirming seven cases with one confirmed death. This is a rapidly developing situation, and we do expect these case counts to continue to climb and change. To date, there are no Ebola cases associated with this outbreak in the U.S., and the risk to the general public is low. There is one American doctor who has tested positive for Ebola and has shown symptoms. He has been transported to Germany and is being treated there. Additionally, his high-risk contacts have been transported from the impacted area in DRC to Germany and the Czech Republic for monitoring.

SHEEHAN:
So, Meredith, you mentioned that there's no vaccine and there's treatment for this strain. Is that making this outbreak worse?

ALLEN:
Yes, we are seeing this is a large outbreak, an unusually large outbreak. Probably given to some of the remoteness of the area, the fact that there is no treatment or vaccine available, and also it seems like there was a little bit of a delay in identifying that this was Ebola in the very beginning of the start of the outbreak has all led to this rapidly changing situation. And while we're seeing those numbers really increase pretty rapidly.

SHEEHAN:
Wow. We've heard that travelers that have taken flights from the area are only allowed to land in specific airports. What's the idea there?

ALLEN:
Yeah, this is really some of the preventive public health measures that are being taken by the U.S. government. So, on May 18th, the government began funneling flights with travelers from DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan. Flights on these passengers will land in just a few airports in the United States. And at this point in time, it's Washington Dulles, Atlanta, Hartsfield, Jackson, and George Bush Intercontinental in Houston. Once they've landed, the passengers will undergo some public health screening and assessment. These passengers will be given information on what symptoms to look for and when and how to contact public health authorities with either questions or signs of any illness. Additionally, the U.S. has used Title 42 to institute some travel restrictions for those who are non U.S. passport holders who have been in those impacted areas in DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan in the past 21 days. CDC has also issued some travel notices and asked that people reconsider any non-essential travel to DRC or, if they have to travel to Uganda, use enhanced precautions.

SHEEHAN:
And so, let's say, worst-case scenario, a traveler is identified as being sick and they land in the
United States. What happens?

ALLEN:
So, they're going to screen all travelers that are coming in from those flights. And this may include some questionnaires about travel history, symptoms, probably having your temperature checked, and also being observed by CDC staff for any kind of signs of illness. Travelers without symptoms are really given information of what they should be looking for over the next 21 days, and then they're able to continue on their journey. Travelers who do have symptoms receive an additional evaluation by a CDC public health officer and may be transferred to a hospital for further medical evaluation and also appropriate isolation. There's a special system of hospitals known as the Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Centers, which serve as these regional hubs for the National Special Pathogen System. This system assists healthcare facilities with infectious disease readiness, educates and trains providers, provides expert advice, and supports research for high-consequence infectious diseases. There are 13 of these hospitals around the country, and recently we've heard and seen a lot of the University of Nebraska Medical Center in the news for the hantavirus response, and that is one of those 13 hospitals.

SHEEHAN:
Wow. And you've mentioned that risk to United States citizens is low, but, you know, this outbreak is still ongoing, so what are the risks?

ALLEN: 
The risks to those in the U.S. is low. There have not been any cases in the United States associated with this outbreak at this time, and Ebola is not airborne. It does require direct contact with bodily fluids to spread. The more we can do to assist in outbreak control and response in DRC and Uganda, the higher the likelihood of omitting any spread outside the region and also spread into the United States.

SHEEHAN: 
Well, Meredith Allen, thanks as always.

ALLEN:
Thanks for having me. Good to talk to you.

SHEEHAN:
Meredith Allen is ASTHO's vice president of health security. Laboratory capability is an important aspect of public health emergency preparedness and response. Effective lab testing is critical to successfully detect and understand different public health threats during public health emergencies. On June 29th, join ASTHO and APHL for a webinar focused on how health agencies can coordinate with public health laboratories to support emergency response. This webinar will highlight how California coordinated across departments in response to a recent botulism outbreak related to infant formula. Find more information at the link in the show notes. For more than 80 years, ASTHO has championed public health and supported the work of state and territorial health agencies across the nation. Stay ahead of the curve on emerging health policy trends and legislative developments at both the state and federal levels. Subscribe to ASTHO's legislative alerts and get timely updates delivered directly to your inbox. The link is in the show notes. This has been Public Health Review Morning Edition. I'm John Sheehan for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.