DRC’s Ebola outbreak has the potential to become a global pandemic. How to make sure it doesn’t - The Conversation
An infectious disease expert warns that the mid-2026 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is spreading at an exponential rate. The author highlights the difficulty in tracking cases and the potential for the virus to escalate into a global pandemic.
Why it matters
Rapid transmission rates in the DRC suggest that current containment efforts may be insufficient, posing a significant threat to global public health security.
Bundibugyo is spreading exponentially in the DRC. Shutterstock https://theconversation.com/drcs-ebola-outbreak-has-the-potential-to-become-a-global-pandemic-how-to-make-sure-it-doesnt-290965 https://theconversation.com/drcs-ebola-outbreak-has-the-potential-to-become-a-global-pandemic-how-to-make-sure-it-doesnt-290965 Link copied Share article Share article
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Given its speed, scale and scope, the Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease that broke out in the Democratic Republic of Congo in mid-2026 could become a global epidemic.
I am an infectious disease epidemiologist with experience in managing the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in my country, Sierra Leone. Drawing lessons from Sierra Leone and having watched the mid-2026 outbreak in the DRC, I conclude that it risks become a global epidemic.
Preventing a fast-spreading outbreak that has already taken over a large geographical region is difficult.
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