Ebola disease is caused by a group of viruses, known as orthoebolaviruses. It affects both humans and animals and is spread through close contact with infected body fluids or contaminated materials.
The disease was first identified in 1976 during outbreaks in Zaire, what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Sudan (now South Sudan).
Between 1979 and 1994, no human cases or outbreaks were reported. However, intermittent outbreaks have occurred since 1994, including the large outbreak in West Africa between 2014 and 2016. Since then, several outbreaks have occurred in recent years. On May 17, 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency of international concern due to an outbreak of Ebola disease, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
What does this outbreak mean for the UK population?
The current Ebola outbreak poses a low risk to the UK population. Although the outbreak is serious, cases of Ebola in returning travelers are rare. In the United Kingdom, the NHS has safe procedures for these cases and specialized centers where they can be cared for.
WHO declares a Public Health Emergency of International Concern when there is an outbreak of serious disease that requires increased awareness, coordination and international support. The declaration helps expand collaboration and funding to respond to the outbreak in the affected region.
As part of our surveillance work, UKHSA routinely monitors infectious disease outbreaks around the world and continually assesses the risk to the UK.
What are the symptoms of Ebola?
Ebola symptoms can appear suddenly between 2 and 21 days after being infected.
Initially, symptoms are flu-like and may include high temperature, extreme tiredness, muscle aches, sore throat, and headache.
Other symptoms that may follow include vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain, rash, bruising, and yellowing of the skin and eyes. In more severe cases, Ebola can cause bleeding as it progresses. This can include blood in the stool and bleeding in different parts of the body.
How does Ebola spread?
Ebola only spreads through close contact. The spread or transmission of Ebola occurs from person to person, through contact with the body fluids of an infected, sick or dead person. In rare cases, people can become infected through contact with an infected animal, such as a bat or non-human primate in a country where animals carry the virus.
Importantly, infected people can only transmit the virus once symptoms begin and it is not transmitted during the incubation period before symptoms begin.
How serious is Ebola?
Ebola is a rare but serious disease that can sometimes be fatal to humans.
The average case fatality rate for Ebola disease is around 50%. Case fatality rates have ranged from 25% to 90% in previous outbreaks.
What is the role of the UK Health Security Agency in Ebola outbreaks?
We are responsible for protecting the UK from infectious disease threats such as Ebola, monitoring overseas outbreaks and coordinating the UK public health response when they occur.
When a serious outbreak is identified overseas, UKHSA activates its response systems. UKHSA teams will work to assess and monitor the situation and provide up-to-date information and advice to the public, travelers and the NHS. UKHSA is also working with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Department for Transport and Border Force to ensure travelers returning from affected areas know what to do if they develop symptoms. We are providing testing services to the NHS for anyone who feels unwell after traveling to affected areas and supporting workers returning from the outbreak area.
During outbreaks as large and severe as the one that affected several West African countries in 2014, it is vital that the global community works together to respond, strengthening health security for us all. UKHSA’s predecessor organizations played a central role in the response alongside colleagues from across the international public health community.
The organization set up and operated three diagnostic laboratories in Sierra Leone, where the outbreak began, significantly speeding up case detection times. A number of staff were sent to West Africa, including microbiologists, epidemiologists and clinical scientists, all of whom helped manage field laboratories and worked with the WHO to track transmission of the virus. Working alongside local doctors and scientists, staff worked to train thousands of local healthcare workers in infection prevention and control procedures.
