Outbreak of Ebola in Democratic Republic of the Congo (Update 16)
19 Jul 2019
On 17 July 2019, the World Health Organisation declared the ongoing outbreak of Ebola virus disease in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo to be a Public Health Emergency of International Importance (PHEIC).
This recognises the scale of the outbreak and the challenges involved in responding to it, while calling for further international support.
As of 17 July 2019, the Ministry of Health in Democratic Republic of the Congo (in French) reports 2 532 cases, of which 2 438 are confirmed and 94 are probable. In total, there have been 1 705 deaths since the start of the outbreak in August 2018.
Advice to travellers
When Ebola outbreaks occur, generally the risk of travellers becoming infected or developing Ebola virus disease is extremely low.
Travellers returning from tropical countries should always seek rapid medical attention if they develop flu-like symptoms (such as fever, headache, diarrhoea or general malaise) within three weeks after return, and be reminded to mention to their health care provider that they have recently travelled.
For further information see Viral Haemorrhagic Fever.