Research and analysis

Outbreaks under monitoring: week 28 (week ending 12 July 2026)

Updated 16 July 2026

The following signal relates to an ongoing outbreak, with data as of 13 July 2026

Disease or pathogen	Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD)
Location	Multi-country
Status	Update
Reporting date	15 May to 13 July 2026
Summary	On 15 May 2026, an outbreak of Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus was declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda. On 17 May 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General determined that the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. As of 13 July 2026  (in French), 2,011 confirmed cases and 754 confirmed deaths have been reported in the DRC. This is an increase of 303 confirmed cases and 174 deaths since the last outbreaks under monitoring report. Confirmed cases have been reported in Ituri (1,808 cases), North Kivu (182 cases), Haut-Uele (14 cases), Tshopo (4 cases) and South Kivu (3 cases) provinces.  On 10 July 2026, the United States (US) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a confirmed case in a US citizen working for a humanitarian organisation in the DRC. In response, the case was transferred to Frankfurt University Hospital in Germany for treatment. In Uganda, as of 13 July 2026, 20 confirmed cases (including 2 deaths) have been reported. Of the confirmed cases, 15 were imported from the DRC and 5 were secondary cases among contacts. This is the 17th recorded Ebola disease outbreak in the DRC since the virus was first identified in 1976. The last reported outbreak, in Kasai Province, ended in December 2025. Bundibugyo virus was first identified in 2007 in Bundibugyo district, western Uganda. A second outbreak caused by Bundibugyo virus was reported in DRC in 2012. WHO assesses the risk of this event as very high in the DRC, high for Uganda and countries with land borders adjoining countries with documented Bundibugyo virus detection, and low for the remaining countries in the African region, and globally. As of 13 July 2026, no imported cases associated with this outbreak have been reported in the UK. Previous experience from the 2014 to 2016 West Africa outbreak suggests a limited importation risk, with only one travel-related case reaching the UK outside of medical evacuations. The risk of the current outbreak to the UK population is assessed as low.
Further information	Ebola: overview, history, origins and transmission Ebola virus disease: clinical management and guidance Ebola and Marburg haemorrhagic fevers: outbreaks and case locations UKHSA blog:  What is Ebola and how does it spread? NaTHNaC country information page: Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda

Epidemiological week 28, 6 to 12 July 2026

Disease or pathogen	Avian influenza A(H5)
Location	Bangladesh and Cambodia
Status	Update
Reporting date	7 to 11 July 2026
Summary	On 15 June 2026, Bangladesh notified the WHO of one confirmed human case of avian influenza A(H5) in Sylhet. The case was a child who developed respiratory symptoms on 17 May 2026 and received medical care on 20 May 2026. The case reported no history of exposure to poultry, however, poultry deaths were reported in the area surrounding the case’s home. In response, health authorities conducted contact tracing, and samples were collected from close contacts, animals and the environment for further investigation. None of the samples tested positive for influenza, and all contacts remained asymptomatic. This is the third reported human case of avian influenza A(H5) in Bangladesh in 2026. In 2025, 4 cases were reported. On 11 July 2026, the Cambodian Ministry of Health (on Facebook: in Khmer) reported a human case of avian influenza A(H5N1) in a 9-month-old child from Chak Andre Leu Commune, Meanchey District, Phnom Penh. The case has been isolated in hospital. This is the fifth avian influenza A(H5N1) case reported in Cambodia in 2026. Response activities by Cambodia’s cross-government health agencies include active case finding, contact tracing, and source investigation in both humans and animals. Oseltamivir has been offered to close contacts. In 2025, Cambodia reported 18 confirmed avian influenza A(H5N1) human cases, including 9 deaths. The risk of avian influenza A(H5N1) infection to UK residents within the UK and those who are travelling to affected areas is very low but may be higher in those with exposure to specific risk factors within the region, such as poultry. The majority of human cases have reported contact with poultry and there is no reported evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission.
Further information	Avian influenza: managing human exposures to incidents in birds or animals NaTHNaC country information page: Bangladesh and Cambodia

Disease or pathogen	Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF)
Location	Iraq, Spain and Uganda
Status	Update
Reporting date	8 to 12 July 2026
Summary	On 12 July 2026, media (in Arabic) reported 270 confirmed cases of CCHF, and 17 deaths, in Iraq during 2026. The highest number of cases have been reported in Dhi Qar (109 cases and 8 deaths), Basra (24 cases and one death) and Maysan (21 cases, no deaths). CCHF has been reported sporadically in Iraq since 1979. However, according to WHO, an increase in cases has been observed in recent years due to increased human-animal interactions, climate change, and changes in agricultural practices. In 2025, 247 cases were reported nationally, of which 96 cases were reported in Dhi Qar Governorate. On 10 July 2026, the Ministry of Health of Castilla and Leon (in Spanish), Spain, reported a confirmed fatal human case of CCHF in Salamanca province. The case was an 84-year-old male who had been bitten by a tick. This is the second reported case of CCHF in Spain in 2026, with the first case also reported in Salamanca. Human cases of CCHF have been reported in Salamanca previously, including during 2025 (in Spanish). On 8 July 2026, media reported a confirmed case of CCHF in Kanungu District, Uganda. The case, who works as a gold miner in Kayungwe Sub-county, was hospitalised and isolated. In response, health authorities have initiated investigations into the source of exposure, and 36 contacts have been identified for monitoring. Uganda reports sporadic cases of CCHF annually. In 2025, 17 cases, including 2 deaths, were reported across 10 districts of Uganda. CCHF is not present in the UK, nor are there any identified established populations of Hyalomma ticks, the principal vectors of CCHF virus. Confirmed CCHF cases have been imported into the UK, including one fatal case in 2012 and one in 2014.
Further information	Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever: origins, reservoirs, transmission and guidelines HAIRS risk assessment: Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever NaTHNaC country information page: Iraq, Spain and Uganda

Disease or pathogen	Severe fever with thrombocytopaenia syndrome (SFTS)
Location	South Korea
Status	Update
Reporting date	12 July 2026
Summary	As of 12 July 2026, South Korea’s Disease Control and Prevention Agency has reported 57 confirmed cases of SFTS in 2026. All cases were locally acquired with the highest number reported in Gangwon (18 cases), Jeonbuk (14 cases) and Gyeonggi (9 cases). In 2025, 280 cases were reported across South Korea, representing the highest annual number of reported cases in over a decade. The SFTS virus is not found in the UK, and no travel-associated cases have been reported in the UK to date.
Further information	Severe fever with thrombocytopaenia syndrome (SFTS): epidemiology, outbreaks and guidance. NaTHNaC country information page: South Korea

Disease or pathogen	Swine influenza
Location	Brazil
Status	New
Reporting date	7 July 2026
Summary	On 7 July 2026, WHO reported a human case of swine influenza A(H3N2)v in Brazil. On 25 June 2026, Brazil notified WHO of a confirmed human case of influenza A(H3N2)v infection in Santa Catarina State. The case developed influenza-like symptoms on 12 June 2026, sought medical care on 16 June 2026, and tested positive on 19 June 2026. In response, an epidemiological investigation was carried out which found that all contacts of the case were asymptomatic before, during and after the case’s illness. The case’s grandfather worked at a swine nursery housing approximately 5,000 animals, and reported that sanitary barriers were in place. The case frequently visited the grandfather’s home and had contact with him several days a week. The public health risk from current known influenza A viruses detected at the human-animal interface is assessed as low by WHO. Sustained human-to-human transmission of these viruses is currently considered unlikely.
Further information	Influenza (avian and other zoonotic) NaTHNaC country information page: Brazil