The Union health ministry on Sunday advised citizens to avoid non-essential travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda and South Sudan following an Ebola outbreak linked to the Bundibugyo strain in parts of Africa.
“In light of the reported outbreaks of Ebola Disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, the World Health Organization (WHO), under the International Health Regulations (IHR), 2005, on May 17, 2026, determined the situation to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC),” the health ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
The advisory follows the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) declaration on May 17 of the outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations (IHR), 2005.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has also classified the outbreak in the DRC and Uganda as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security.
According to the advisory, the WHO’s IHR Emergency Committee on May 22 recommended tighter disease surveillance at points of entry to “detect, assess, report and manage travellers with unexplained febrile illness arriving from areas with documented Bundibugyo virus detection” while discouraging travel to affected regions.
Countries bordering the DRC and Uganda, including South Sudan, have been assessed to be at high risk of transmission, the advisory noted.
Indian nationals currently residing in or travelling to these countries have been urged to follow local public health advisories, maintain heightened hygiene precautions, avoid contact with symptomatic individuals and seek immediate medical attention in case of fever or related symptoms.
Ebola, a viral haemorrhagic fever caused by the Bundibugyo strain, is known to have a high mortality rate. The advisory noted that no vaccines or specific treatments have yet been approved to prevent or treat infections caused by this strain.
A health ministry statement said 204 deaths had been recorded in three provinces of the vast central African country, from 867 suspected cases. The last World Health Organization toll on Friday put the number of deaths at 177 from 750 suspected cases.
India has not reported any Ebola case linked to the Bundibugyo strain so far, according to the advisory. The government said it is closely monitoring the evolving situation in line with WHO recommendations.
