Research and analysis

Outbreaks under monitoring: week 43 (week ending 25 October 2026)

Updated 29 October 2026

The following signal relates to an ongoing outbreak, with data as of 26 October 2026

Disease or pathogen	Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD)
Location	Multi-country
Status	Update
Reporting date	15 May to 26 October 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 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 25 October 2026, 10,060 confirmed cases and 4,887 confirmed deaths have been reported in the DRC. This is an increase of 508 confirmed cases and 285 deaths since the last Outbreaks Under Monitoring report. Cases have been reported in 66 health zones across 8 provinces (Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, South-Ubangi, North-Ubangi, Haut-Uele, Bas-Uele and Tshopo). The highest number of cases have been reported in Ituri (7,211 cases, including 3,370 deaths), followed by North Kivu (2,309 cases, including 1,293 deaths) and Haut-Uele (436 cases, including 190 deaths) provinces. The heterogeneous transmission patterns across the provinces have resulted in a high and fluctuating incidence pattern nationally. Between 6 and 20 October 2026, 482 new deaths were reported, of which 307 deaths occurred in the community and 175 deaths were in treatment centres. The high proportion of community deaths emphasises the challenges in early case detection and timely access to appropriate care. This has become the largest recorded BVD outbreak and is the second largest Ebola disease outbreak to date. On 6 October 2026, Kenya’s Ministry of Health reported the first confirmed case of BVD in Kenya, imported from the DRC. The case travelled from the DRC to Kampala, Uganda, by road and arrived in Nairobi via a flight on 3 October 2026. Samples from the case tested positive for Ebola Bundibugyo virus. The case was given supportive treatment but died on 5 October 2026. As of 26 October 2026, a total of 9 confirmed cases and 2 deaths have been reported in Kenya. The second fatal case was reported to be a close family member of the index case. All secondary cases are epidemiologically linked to the initial imported case, and all were identified while in quarantine. According to Kenya’s MoH there is no evidence of transmission outside of this cluster. On 20 October 2026, Nigeria’s Centre for Disease Control reported the first confirmed case of BVD. The case was confirmed in Abuja, in a woman who had recently travelled from Uganda, with transit through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The case was later medically evacuated to Switzerland for further treatment. As of 24 October 2026, no additional cases have been reported in relation to this case, and 53 contacts have been identified, categorised and followed up. Contacts listed include healthcare workers, domestic staff and the case’s spouse. On 27 August 2026, WHO and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention declared the end of the outbreak in Uganda following no new cases since the last case was discharged from care on 16 July 2026. A total of 20 confirmed cases (including 2 deaths) were reported in Uganda. 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. 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 countries with land borders adjoining the DRC, and low for the remaining countries in the African region, and globally. As of 26 October 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, Uganda, and Kenya.

Epidemiological week 43, 19 to 25 October 2026

Disease or pathogen	Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF)
Location	Afghanistan and Mauritania
Status	Update
Reporting date	September 2026 to 11 October 2026
Summary	In September 2026, 220 new suspected cases of CCHF and 5 associated deaths were reported in Afghanistan. This represents a 15.2% increase in cases compared to August 2026 (191 cases and 11 deaths). A total of 1,669 cases and 71 deaths have been reported in Afghanistan in 2026 . A higher number of cases but a lower number of deaths have been observed in 2026 when compared to all of 2025 (1,505 cases and 102 deaths). During the week ending 11 October 2026, one confirmed fatal case of CCHF was reported in the Traza region, Mauritania. This is the second reported CCHF case in Mauritania in 2026. The first case was also detected in the Traza region. Cases of CCHF have been reported in Mauritania previously, with the last confirmed human case detected in 2023. 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: Afghanistan and Mauritania

Disease or pathogen	Shamonda virus
Location	France
Status	New
Reporting date	22 October 2026
Summary	On 22 October 2026, France’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty (in French) reported the first documented human detection of Shamonda virus infection. The case, who was immunosuppressed, was being treated for a serious illness at the Hospices Civils de Lyon and died in early October 2026. Prior to their death, the case experienced neurological complications which were likely linked to infection with Shamonda virus. Epidemiological investigations are ongoing, using a one health approach to identify how the virus contributed to the patient’s death and to determine how the infection was acquired. It is suspected that the case was infected through the bite of a Culicoides midge in the east of France, where Shamonda virus has been circulating in animals since the spring of 2026. During the summer of 2026, the Shamonda virus was detected in European farm animals for the first time, with cases reported in several countries, including cattle farms in France. Cattle are considered the primary host species, although sporadic infections have also been reported in small ruminants and equines in France during 2026. Based on currently available information, health authorities in France report that there is no risk to the general population. This is the first ever human detection of Shamonda virus infection. Prior to the detection of this case, Shamonda virus had not been considered as transmissible to humans. To date, no human cases of Shamonda virus have been reported in the UK. The risk to the UK population is currently assessed as very low.
Further information	WHO: Shamonda virus World Organisation for Animal Health: Shamonda virus NaTHNaC country information page: France