Health Alert: Ebola Outbreak in DRC and Uganda; Public Health Monitoring of Returning Travelers

This is a Health Alert from the Washington State Department of Health (WA DOH) regarding an outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda.

Current Situation

Washington State Department of Health is monitoring a rapidly growing outbreak of Bundibugyo virus, a species of Ebola, in DRC and Uganda. The outbreak was identified on May 15, and the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17, 2026.

The risk for Ebola in Washington State is very low at this time. There may be risk for exposure to Ebola for people who travel to the impacted countries - particularly DRC, which has the majority of cases identified to date. Out of an abundance of caution, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has taken the following steps to limit the risk of Ebola in the US:

WA DOH is coordinating with the CDC to support the identification of any WA residents with recent travel to the Ebola-impacted countries. WA DOH will work with local health jurisdictions to ensure that WA residents returning from the impacted countries receive Ebola symptom monitoring for 21 days. In addition, the WA DOH Public Health Laboratories (PHL) are able to test for Bundibugyo virus if any returning traveler develops symptoms of Ebola.

Actions Requested

In order to prepare for potential monitoring of returning travelers, local health jurisdictions in Washington are requested to:

Prepare

  • Review your health jurisdiction plans for high-consequence infectious diseases, including Ebola.
  • Ensure that your jurisdiction has plans to receive calls after-hours, and know how to reach WA DOH after-hours to report any suspected cases of Ebola.
  • Identify where your jurisdiction would send a resident under monitoring if they developed symptoms of Ebola and needed evaluation and/or specimen collection.  

Monitor

  • If CDC notifies WA DOH of a WA resident with recent travel (within 21 days) to DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan:
    • WA DOH will share contact information, as well as any relevant risk assessment information available, with the local health jurisdiction.
    • Based on the level of exposure risk, travelers may be recommended to self-monitor for symptoms of Ebola, or they may be recommended for weekly or daily monitoring by the local health jurisdiction. See the CDC Interim Guidance webpage for further information. 
  • CDC has published Interim Guidance about monitoring returning travelers for symptoms of Ebola for public health departments.
    • Note that this guidance may change as we learn more about the current outbreak.
    • WA DOH may publish additional guidance to supplement CDC guidance.
  • Local health jurisdictions should provide individuals under monitoring with information about:
    • Symptoms of Ebola.
    • How to reach the health jurisdiction, including after-hours and weekends, to report symptoms.
    • Type/frequency of monitoring – Noting that IF someone develops symptoms, monitoring frequency will increase.
    • Any travel or work restrictions, if appropriate.
  • If any returning residents have high-risk exposures identified, local health jurisdictions should consider issuing written orders, such as a Request for Voluntary Quarantine.

Notify

  • Ebola (including suspected cases of Ebola due to Bundibugyo virus) is an immediately notifiable condition in the state of Washington.
    • Healthcare providers and healthcare facilities should immediately notify the local health jurisdiction if a patient presents to care with exposure risk and symptoms of Ebola.
    • Local health jurisdictions should immediately notify WA DOH of any returning traveler under monitoring who develops compatible symptoms, or if any other suspected case of Ebola is reported by healthcare providers.
      • Reports can be made 24 hours a day/7 days a week, to the WA DOH Office of Communicable Disease Epidemiology by calling 206-418-5500

Identify and Isolate

Test

  • WA PHL can test for Bundibugyo virus.
    • Testing for Bundibugyo virus (or any Ebola virus) can ONLY be completed with prior approval from both the local health jurisdiction and WA DOH Office of Communicable Disease Epidemiology.
    • Patient specimens submitted for testing require Category A shipping and handling (PDF).
    • Follow WA PHL Specimen Collection and Submission Instructions for Ebola.
    • Note that WA PHL will also perform a rapid test for malaria for all specimens submitted for Ebola testing, as malaria is endemic to the region and symptoms can overlap.

Background

Bundibugyo virus is a species of Ebola virus. It was first identified during an outbreak in the Bundibugyo District of Uganda in 2007. Bundibugyo virus is a zoonotic disease; the animal reservoir is likely fruit bats. Occasionally, when human-animal contact occurs, there is spillover of the virus to the human population. Once humans are infected with Bundibugyo virus (and other Ebola viruses), it can spread person-to-person through close contact with sick people, contact with an ill person’s bodily fluids, or from contact with the body of a person who recently died from Ebola. The incubation period for Ebola ranges from 2-21 days, though most people develop symptoms within 8-10 days after exposure.

Bundibugyo virus causes a severe illness called Bundibugyo Virus Disease (BVD), which may also be referred to as Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). Regardless of the species, symptoms of EVD include a prodrome of non-specific/systemic symptoms such as fever, fatigue, and headache (sometimes referred to as “dry” symptoms). After 3-5 days, “wet” symptoms develop, including vomiting, diarrhea, and in some cases, hemorrhage or bleeding. Severe cases can progress to multi-organ failure and death. The WHO reports that EVD is fatal in about 50% of cases, although case fatality rates have ranged from 25% to 90% in previous outbreaks.

Unlike other species of Ebola virus, there are currently no licensed vaccines or treatments for Bundibugyo infection. The best way to control outbreaks of Bundibugyo virus is by public health interventions such as isolating sick people, providing supportive medical care in specialized facilities, ensuring healthcare workers have access to personal protective equipment (PPE) and training, and rapidly identifying and quarantining close contacts to monitor for symptoms.

Resources

For more information about Ebola and the current outbreak of Bundibugyo virus, please visit:

For more information about travel advisories and returning traveler monitoring, please visit:

Contact

For additional questions, or to report suspect cases, please contact the WA DOH Office of Communicable Disease Epidemiology at 206-418-5500.