WHO: Ebola outbreak in DR Congo collides with conflict and hunger

The UN World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday warned that eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo faces a “catastrophic collision of disease and conflict” as a fast-spreading Ebola outbreak outpaces containment efforts in a region already battered by armed violence, Read More …

Ebola outbreak in Central Africa declared a ‘Public Health Emergency of International Concern’

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, citing rising cases, cross-border spread and significant uncertainties about the scale of Read More …

Hantavirus-hit ship evacuation completed as quarantines begin

The repatriation effort, coordinated by Spanish authorities with support from WHO, the European Union, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and multiple governments, marked the end of an emergency operation that has gripped global health attention for weeks Read More …

South Africa: A suspected outbreak of the rare hantavirus on a cruise ship in the Atlantic kills 3 people

A suspected outbreak of the rare hantavirus infection on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean killed three people, including an elderly married couple, and sickened at least three others, the World Health Organization and H’s Department of Health said Read More …

Ethiopia: Marburg virus disease update

On 26 January 2026, the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia declared the end of the Marburg virus disease (MVD) outbreak. This declaration came after two consecutive incubation periods (a total of 42 days) since the last person confirmed with MVD Read More …

Romania confirms first leprosy cases in over 40 years, two more under investigation

Romania has confirmed its first case of leprosy in more than 40 years, with three other suspected cases currently under clinical and microbiological investigation, health minister Alexandru Rogobete announced on Thursday, December 11. All four individuals are women from Asia Read More …

Washington: Patient dies of complications after contracting H5N5 avian influenza

A Washington resident died of complications from an infection with a bird flu strain never before reported in humans, the state Department of Health said on Friday. The patient was an older adult with underlying health conditions who had been Read More …

Ethiopia confirms first outbreak of Marburg virus disease

Ethiopia has confirmed its first outbreak of Marburg virus disease, after nine cases were reported in the south of the country. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Friday commended the Ethiopian Health Ministry and other health agencies Read More …

DR Congo: A new Ebola outbreak kills dozens as health officials warn of lack of funds

As a deadly new Ebola outbreak kills dozens in southern Congo, health authorities and organizations are sounding the alarm, warning they lack the funds and resources to mount an effective response to the crisis. The World Health Organization said Wednesday Read More …

Uganda: Ebola cases in rise to 9, while 265 others are being monitored under quarantine

Ebola cases in Uganda have risen to nine, while 265 other people were being monitored under quarantine, health authorities said Tuesday. The nine include the first victim, a male nurse who died the day before the outbreak was declared on Read More …

Uganda confirms new Ebola outbreak

Uganda has confirmed an outbreak of Sudan Ebola Virus Disease (SUDV) in the capital city of Kampala. The announcement was made by the Ministry of Health today following positive tests from three National Reference Laboratories. “Our rapid response teams are Read More …

Investigation launched into Queensland lab breach, with vials of Hendra virus, lyssavirus and hantavirus missing

Nearly 100 live samples of the deadly Hendra virus have been lost in a biosecurity bungle at a state-run Queensland laboratory. An investigation has been launched after it was revealed 323 virus samples went missing from Virology Laboratory in 2021 Read More …

Wuhan lab samples hold no close relatives to virus behind COVID

After years of rumours that the virus that causes COVID-19 escaped from a laboratory in China, the virologist at the centre of the claims has presented data on dozens of new coronaviruses collected from bats in southern China. At a Read More …

DR Congo: Unknown flu-like disease kills at least 79 people

At least 79 people have died from an unknown disease that is causing flu-like symptoms in south-western Democratic Republic of Congo, the health ministry says. The health ministry says the majority of people who have died are between the ages Read More …

WHO says mpox remains public health emergency of international concern

The World Health Organization (WHO) says it will keep its alert for mpox at the highest level amid a surge in cases. A WHO committee made up of about a dozen independent experts made the decision at a meeting in Read More …

UK: NHS staff ‘may have treated Covid with poor PPE’

A former Welsh health minister has said that NHS staff may have treated Covid patients during the pandemic with inadequate PPE. Former first minister Vaughan Gething, who was in charge of the health service from 2016 to 2021, returned to Read More …

UK: Two new cases of Clade lb mpox detected

Two new cases of a strain of mpox that is thought to be more transmissable have been detected in the UK, the Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said. This brings the total number of confirmed cases of the Clade lb mpox Read More …

First case of Clade 1b mpox strain confirmed in the UK

The first case of a new, more dangerous strain of mpox has been found in Britain, the UK Health Security Agency has said. The patient, who had recently returned from Africa, has been transferred to a high-level isolation unit at Read More …

Marburg virus death toll in Rwanda rises to 11 as travellers in Germany test negative

Eleven people have died in Rwanda as the African country continues to fight an outbreak of Marburg virus. The Rwandan government said there were 36 confirmed cases of the virus in its latest update, with 25 people in isolation. Two Read More …