The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced a global health emergency. This time, the concern is a growing Ebola outbreak that is connected to the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda.According to the WHO, as of May 16, 2026, there were eight laboratory-confirmed Ebola cases, 246 suspected infections, and nearly 80 suspected deaths reported in parts of the DRC. Cases have also appeared in Uganda’s capital Kampala and in Kinshasa, raising fears that the virus may already have travelled beyond remote areas before health authorities could contain it.What has alarmed experts is not just the number of deaths, but the uncertainty around the actual scale of the outbreak. WHO has warned that the outbreak could be “much larger than what is currently being detected and reported.”The declaration is officially classified as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), the same category used for events that demand urgent global coordination.Why this Ebola outbreak is different from earlier onesEbola itself is not new. The DRC has battled several outbreaks over the last five decades. But this outbreak has raised concern for a reason many people may not immediately understand: the virus involved is the Bundibugyo strain, one of the rarer forms of Ebola.Dr Diksha Goyal, Consultant - Internal Medicine, Marengo Asia Hospitals, explains, “The virus is a rare species called Ebola Bundibugyo, which standard field tests often miss and for which no vaccines or therapeutics exist.”That one line changes the entire situation. During some previous Ebola outbreaks, vaccines and targeted treatments helped authorities slow transmission. This time, no approved vaccine currently exists for this specific strain.Health workers are especially worried because several infections have reportedly occurred inside healthcare settings. Four nurses are among the confirmed deaths, suggesting gaps in infection control.Dr Goyal adds, “The health ministry said there are already 246 suspected cases, including 80 deaths, in the remote province of Ituri, suggesting the virus spread widely before it was identified.”Ebola outbreaks become harder to control when the virus silently spreads through communities before diagnosis begins.The virus is also difficult because symptoms in the early stage can resemble common infections like malaria, typhoid, or severe flu. Fever, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, and body pain often appear first before severe bleeding complications develop in some patients.The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Ebola explains how Ebola spreads, symptoms to watch for, and why early isolation remains critical.How Ebola spreads, and why experts say panic is unnecessaryThe word “Ebola” often triggers fear because of its high fatality rate and dramatic symptoms. But experts repeatedly stress one important fact: Ebola is not an airborne disease like COVID-19.Dr Namita Jaggi, Chairperson- Lab Services and Infection Control & Chief- Education & Research, Artemis Hospitals, says, “It’s true that Ebola is a deadly disease and that WHO has declared an international health emergency after this rare strain has killed about 87 people, but Ebola spreads through direct contact with blood or body fluids of an infected person.”She further explains that transmission may also happen through contaminated objects such as needles, bedding, clothing, infected animals, or during burial rituals involving infected bodies.Importantly, she notes, “It does not spread through normal airborne transmission like measles or COVID-19.”Casual contact, walking past someone, or sharing air in open spaces does not usually spread Ebola.This is also why experts are urging awareness, not panic.Dr Jaggi explains, “Global preparedness is much better now than during earlier outbreaks: faster testing, contact tracing, isolation units, screening of travelers, vaccines such as Ervebo, and rapid response teams from organizations like WHO and CDC.” Should India actually be worried?This is the question many people are asking after hearing the phrase “international emergency.”For now, experts say the risk to India remains low.Dr Namita Jaggi says, “For countries like India, the risk is usually considered very low, unless there is significant international air travel from affected zones, an infected traveler arrives before symptoms are obvious, or infection control fails in healthcare settings.”India already has surveillance systems at airports and major hospitals for monitoring infectious disease threats. During outbreaks, international passengers from affected regions are often screened more closely.WHO has also clarified that countries should not shut borders or stop trade because such reactions often create panic and force people to move through unmonitored routes.Instead, the focus is on preparedness: rapid detection, hospital infection control, and contact tracing.Still, public health experts say the outbreak serves as a reminder that infectious diseases remain a global challenge in a highly connected world. A virus emerging in one region can quickly become an international concern through travel and delayed detection.Dr Diksha Goyal notes, “In addition to being classified as a potential bioterrorism agent, the risk of natural outbreaks and the further emergence of the Ebola virus is a serious concern.”The current outbreak may still be controlled. But the speed and seriousness of the global response show that the world has learned difficult lessons from past epidemics.Medical experts consultedThis article includes expert inputs shared with TOI Health by:Dr Namita Jaggi, Chairperson- Lab services and Infection control & Chief- Education & Research, Artemis Hospitals.Dr Diksha Goyal, Consultant - Internal Medicine, Marengo Asia Hospitals, Gurugram.Inputs were used to explain why the WHO has declared the Ebola outbreak an international health emergency, how the rare Bundibugyo strain is spreading, the global risks involved, and whether countries like India should be concerned about the situation.