The Ministry of Health said that, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) announcement on May 17, 2026, the Ebola hemorrhagic fever epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda has been identified as an emergency public health event of international concern.
According to the Ministry of Health, this is an important health warning to help countries strengthen monitoring, early detection and proactively prepare response measures. However, WHO affirms that this does not mean that the epidemic has spread globally.
Information from WHO shows that as of May 16, 2026, the Democratic Republic of Congo has recorded 8 confirmed Ebola cases, 246 suspected cases and 80 deaths suspected of being related to the epidemic in Ituri province.
In Uganda, health authorities recorded 2 cases confirmed by testing, including 1 death in the capital Kampala. Both cases had moved from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Ebola is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, which is a dangerous infectious disease with the possibility of severe progression and high mortality rate. The virus is mainly transmitted through direct contact with blood, body fluids of people infected or dying from Ebola; and can also be transmitted through objects and surfaces contaminated with body fluids of patients.
Common symptoms when infected with the Ebola virus include fever, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and rash. Several cases may experience bleeding. Incubation periods range from 2 to 21 days.
Faced with the diễn biến of the epidemic, the Vietnamese Ministry of Health is closely monitoring the situation, regularly updating information from WHO and focal agencies implementing the International Health Charter. At the same time, the health sector is also strengthening supervision at medical examination and treatment facilities and medical quarantine at border gates to promptly detect the risk of intrusion.
The Ministry of Health recommends that people not panic, and need to follow official information from the Ministry of Health and WHO. People returning from epidemic areas need to monitor their health for 21 days.
People are also advised not to come into direct contact with people with suspected Ebola symptoms, as well as to avoid contact with blood, body fluids, or the patient's belongings.
In case of symptoms such as fever, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhea or bleeding after returning from an epidemic area, people need to go to a medical facility immediately for examination, and proactively notify travel history and contact information to serve epidemic handling and prevention.
The Ministry of Health said it will continue to update on the epidemic situation and guide appropriate prevention and control measures according to actual developments.
