Research and analysis

Outbreaks under monitoring: week 33 (week ending 16 August 2026)

Updated 20 August 2026

The following signal relates to an ongoing outbreak, with data as of 16 August 2026

Disease or pathogen	Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD)
Location	Multi-country
Status	Update
Reporting date	15 May to 16 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. The outbreak in DRC remains a public health emergency of international concern as of the latest WHO Emergency Committee meeting, held on 18 August 2026. As of 16 August 2026, 5,021 confirmed cases and 2,378 confirmed deaths have been reported in the DRC. This is an increase of 572 confirmed cases, 317 deaths, and one new reporting province (Bas-Uele) since the last Outbreaks Under Monitoring report. Cases have been reported in 55 health zones across 6 provinces (Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele, Bas-Uele and Tshopo). The highest number of cases continue to be reported in Ituri (4,257 cases, including 1,878 deaths). This has become the largest recorded BVD outbreak and is the second largest Ebola disease outbreak. 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 16 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 33, 10 to 16 August 2026

Disease or pathogen	Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF)
Location	Albania and Spain
Status	New and update
Reporting date	8 to 14 August 2026
Summary	According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), between 8 to 14 August 2026, a confirmed case of CCHF was reported in Tropoje District, Albania. The case is a livestock farmer who experienced symptom onset on 22 July 2026 and was hospitalised on 24 July 2026. The case has since recovered and has been discharged from hospital. In response, entomological investigations are ongoing. CCHF is not recognised as endemic in Tropoje District. However, human cases have been reported in this county (Kukes) previously, with the last case recorded in 2023. Additionally, the Hyalomma marginatum tick species, the primary vector of CCHF, has been detected across almost all regions of Albania. On 13 August 2026, the Government of Castile and Leon (in Spanish), Spain, reported a confirmed case of CCHF in a 71 year old male. The case was detected in Salamanca Province and has been transferred to Gomez Ulla Central Military hospital in Madrid. The source of exposure has not been reported. In response, health authorities have initiated contact tracing. This is the fourth reported case of CCHF in Spain in 2026. Prior to this case, 2 cases were reported in Salamanca, of which one was fatal (in Spanish). Human cases of CCHF have been reported in Salamanca (in Spanish) previously. 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: Albania and Spain

Disease or pathogen	Mpox
Location	Hungary
Status	New
Reporting date	14 August 2026
Summary	According to ECDC, the first confirmed case of clade I mpox in Hungary was reported in July 2026. No further information regarding the case has been reported. Clade II mpox has been reported in Hungary previously. In the UK, cases of clade Ib and IIb mpox continue to be reported. Up to 31 July 2026, 119 clade Ib mpox cases have been reported, most of which have direct or indirect travel links to countries where clade Ib mpox is circulating.
Further information	Mpox: guidance Mpox clade Ib and clade IIb outbreak: epidemiological overview NaTHNaC country information page: Hungary

Disease or pathogen	Severe fever with thrombocytopaenia syndrome (SFTS)
Location	China
Status	Update
Reporting date	June 2026
Summary	On 13 August 2026, China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported 1,220 cases of SFTS, including 66 deaths, during June 2026.  This is an increase in the number of newly reported monthly cases when compared to May 2026 (900 cases, including 33 deaths). SFTS is widely distributed across China, with clusters typically occurring in Henan, Hubei, Shandong, Anhui, Liaoning, Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. Cases are reported all year round but peak between May and July. 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: China

Disease or pathogen	Swine influenza A(H1N2)v
Location	United States
Status	New
Reporting date	14 August 2026
Summary	On 14 August 2026, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) reported a human case of influenza A(H1N2)v infection in Michigan, United States. The case is an Ionia County resident who was a swine exhibitor at an agricultural fair in Kent County. In response, MDHHS and the Kent County Health Department (KCHD) are working to contact swine exhibitors and their families who visited the swine barns at the fair to identify any additional potential cases. Local health providers have also been advised to observe for patients presenting with respiratory symptoms who report exposure to swine or visited the fair. In the UK, one human case of influenza A(H1N2)v was reported in 2023. This was the first detection of this variant in a human in the UK and was detected as a part of routine national flu surveillance. The case experienced mild illness and recovered. The general population has a very low risk of exposure to influenza A(H1N2)v in pigs in the UK. Those directly exposed to pigs regularly (for example, through occupation) may have a higher risk of exposure.
Further information	Influenza A(H1N2)v: guidance for affected members of the public Influenza A(H1N2)v: rapid technical assessment Influenza (avian and other zoonotic) NaTHNaC country information page: United States