Research and analysis

Outbreaks under monitoring: week 32 (week ending 9 August 2026)

Updated 13 August 2026

The following signal relates to an ongoing outbreak, with data as of 10 August 2026

Disease or pathogen	Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD)
Location	Multi-country
Status	Update
Reporting date	15 May to 10 August 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 10 August 2026 (in French), 4,449 confirmed cases and 2,061 confirmed deaths have been reported in the DRC. This is an increase of 575 confirmed cases and 310 deaths since the last Outbreaks Under Monitoring report. Cases have been reported in 53 health zones across 5 provinces (Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele and Tshopo). On 16 July 2026, Uganda began a 42-day countdown to declaring its outbreak over, after health authorities discharged the last recovered patient. A total of 20 confirmed cases (including 2 deaths) have been reported in Uganda. The last case was reported on 21 June 2026. 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 continues to assess the risk of this event as very high in the DRC, high for Uganda due to cross-border transmission through imported cases and ongoing epidemiological links to the DRC, high for 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 10 August 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 32, 3 to 9 August 2026

Disease or pathogen	Avian influenza A(H9N2)
Location	China
Status	New
Reporting date	24 July to 7 August 2026
Summary	Between 24 to 30 July 2026, 4 human cases of avian influenza A(H9N2) were reported to the WHO from China. All 4 cases were geographically distinct from each other and were reported in individuals aged 3 to 72 years old from Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Gansu, and Yunnan provinces with symptom onset during July 2026. One case reported direct exposure to live poultry, while epidemiological investigations found that the other 3 cases had potential exposure related to live poultry stalls or wet market visits. 2 cases with underlying chronic respiratory disease conditions were hospitalised and later discharged, while the other 2 cases experienced mild illness, were not hospitalised and recovered. Between 9 January and 7 August 2026, 25 human cases of avian influenza A(H9N2) have been reported from China. By comparison, 29 cases were reported in China throughout all of 2025, an increase from 11 cases in 2024. Most human cases of avian influenza A(H9N2) have been associated with exposure to infected poultry or contaminated environments and have resulted in mild symptoms. Current evidence shows that avian influenza A(H9N2) viruses have not acquired the ability for sustained human-to-human transmission, according to the WHO. UKHSA assesses the risk of avian influenza A(H9N2) to UK residents within the UK as very low, as it is not present in animal reservoirs in the UK. The risk to UK nationals travelling to an affected country is also considered to be very low, although risk may be higher in individuals with history of poultry exposure and associated activities.
Further information	Avian influenza: guidance, data and analysis. Risk assessment of avian influenza A(H9N2) NaTHNaC country information page: China

Disease or pathogen	Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF)
Location	Iraq, Kazakhstan and Uganda
Status	Update
Reporting date	30 June to 8 August 2026
Summary	On 30 June 2026, media (in Russian) reported 22 cases of CCHF in Kazakhstan since the beginning of 2026. Most cases were reported in the Zhambyl, Kyzylorda and Turkestan regions. An average of between 25 to 30 CCHF cases are recorded in Kazakhstan annually. On 7 August 2026, media reported 313 CCHF cases, including 24 deaths, in Iraq. The highest number of cases have been reported in Dhi Qar region, reporting 119 confirmed cases, 9 of which were fatal. 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 8 August 2026, media reported 2 confirmed cases of CCHF, including one fatal case, in Yumbe District, Uganda. One case was reported in Ariwa sub-county in an 18 year old, and one fatal case was reported in a 9 year old child in Lodonga sub-county. 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, Kazakhstan and Uganda

Disease or pathogen	Andes virus
Location	France and Spain
Status	New
Reporting date	6 to 7 July 2026
Summary	On 6 August 2026, France’s Ministry of Health (in French) reported a confirmed case of Andes virus in a French-Argentine tourist who had travelled through France in late July 2026 and who is now isolating with their family in Galicia, Spain. The case has no links to the Andes virus outbreak associated with the MV Hondius. In response, France’s Ministry of Health has initiated an epidemiological investigation to retrace the journey taken by the case and to identify any contacts. Authorities estimate the case’s infective period to have been between 18 to 28 July 2026 (in French), and report that the case is no longer symptomatic. At the time of diagnosis in France, the case had a low viral load.   On 7 August 2026, the Galician Health Service (in Spanish) reported that the case continues to remain asymptomatic and is in isolation. Contact tracing has identified 2 asymptomatic contacts among family members of the case are undergoing 42 days of quarantine. Seoul hantavirus is the only species to have been identified in the UK and does not spread between people. It is possible that rare, travel-associated Andes virus infections may be seen in the UK in individuals returning from places where Andes virus is considered endemic, although none have been reported to date.
Further information	Andes hantavirus: epidemiology, outbreaks and guidance Hantaviruses: characteristics, diagnosis and epidemiology HAIRS risk assessment: hantavirus UKHSA blog: What is hantavirus? How is it transmitted and what are the symptoms? NaTHNaC Hantavirus NaTHNaC country information page: France and Spain

Disease or pathogen	Chandipura virus
Location	India
Status	Update
Reporting date	8 August 2026
Summary	On 8 August 2026, media reported 217 cases of Chandipura virus, including 39 confirmed cases and 23 deaths in Gujarat, India, since 30 June 2026. This is an increase in 190 cases and 11 deaths since the last report of this signal in the Outbreaks Under Monitoring webpage with data up to 17 July 2026. In response, health authorities continue to increase surveillance and vector control activities. Outbreaks of Chandipura virus occur sporadically in India, coinciding with the monsoon season (May to September), and mostly affects children aged under 15 years old. The monsoon season results in an increase in sandfly activity, which are considered the primary vector of Chandipura virus in Gujarat. Between June and 15 August 2024, an outbreak of Chandipura virus in India resulted in 245 cases, including 82 deaths (case fatality rate of 33%). This was the largest outbreak recorded in India in 20 years. No travel-associated cases of Chandipura virus have been reported in the UK to date. The primary vector (Phlebotomus papatasi) is not established in the UK.
Further information	Acute encephalitis syndrome due to Chandipura virus - India NaTHNaC country information page: India