Topic analysis

Ebola outbreak may be spreading faster than first thought, WHO doctor warns

A World Health Organization (WHO) doctor has warned that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)—which has killed at least 131 people and recorded over 513 suspected cases as of May 19, 2026—may be spreading faster than initially thought. Modelling by the London-based MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis suggests substantial under-detection (potentially over 1,000 cases), with the virus having spread to neighboring Uganda, other DRC provinces including the city of Goma, prompting border precautions in nearby countries; an American missionary doctor is being evacuated for treatment, and there is no approved vaccine for the rare Bundibugyo strain driving the outbreak, though WHO is evaluating alternative drugs.