JONATHAN M. METSCH, Dr.P.H. – Tracking Emerging Public Health Challenges – July 4, 2026 -EBOLA
Marburg virus is related to Ebolaviruses and causes similar hemorrhagic disease. Its transmission routes and prevention measures are likewise similar.
On Wednesday, Africa CDC told Reuters that no contacts of the deceased toddler had developed symptoms, and there were no other current active cases in the country, citing Ugandan health authorities. But when Reuters reached out to Uganda’s health ministry, a spokesperson said he was not aware of a Marburg outbreak.”
“An anonymous “well-placed source” told Stat News that Uganda had actually detected two cases of Marburg as of Monday but that potential spread appeared localized. The outlet noted that concerns about travel restrictions, including those from the US, and the impact on the local tourism industry may be driving the country’s reluctance to share more information.” (1)
“Africa is once again battling deadly viral diseases that have raised concerns. Uganda recently confirmed an isolated case of Marburg virus disease in a one-and-a-half-year-old child during surveillance linked to the ongoing Ebola response. Health officials have clarified that no contacts of the child have developed symptoms and there are currently no active Marburg cases in the country. Even so, the detection has put authorities on high alert because Marburg is highly infectious and can spread rapidly if not contained.
At the same time, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda continue to face a major Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo strain. DR Congo has more than a thousand confirmed infections and hundreds of deaths. Uganda has also reported imported Ebola cases linked to the outbreak, making disease surveillance even more important.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and Africa CDC, are closely monitoring the situation to prevent further spread. While the risk of a global outbreak remains low at present, experts say early detection and quick action are important to stop the spread of these viruses.
Both Ebola and Marburg viruses in the same region have raised questions about whether the world could face another pandemic. Although these viruses belong to the same family and can cause severe illness, they behave differently from viruses like Covid-19. These viruses usually spread through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person rather than through the air. This makes them easier to control when public health measures such as isolation, contact tracing and protective equipment are used.”
While the possibility cannot be completely ruled out, experts believe Ebola and Marburg are less likely to trigger a global pandemic than highly contagious respiratory viruses like Covid-19. These infections require close physical contact for transmission, making widespread community spread more difficult.” (2)
“Two deadly infectious diseases, Ebola and hantavirus, have made headlines in recent weeks as they pose serious threats to public health. They both require rigorous infection and prevention control (IPAC) practices and often present with similar early symptoms.
Two succinct articles in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) provide information about each disease for clinicians.” (3)
“Ebola moved silently for weeks, and possibly months, before the first patient was reported: a nurse who came to the hospital in Bunia, Congo, with fever, vomiting, and bleeding on April 24. Local labs didn’t have the necessary equipment to test her sample, so it was sent to the capital in Kinshasa, which took days. In the meantime, she and other people with Ebola had been mingling in the community; some crossed the border into Uganda. It took another week or so for the WHO to receive reports of more cases, when it then declared the outbreak a public-health emergency of international concern.
The region’s skeletal health ecosystem was no match for fast-moving Ebola. It spreads by direct contact with body fluids: saliva, blood, vomit, urine, feces. The bodies of the recently deceased are especially contagious, as they often contain the highest levels of the virus. But burial and mourning practices in Congo are built around touching and handling departed loved ones during the funeral. Health care workers who impede these rituals for infection-control reasons often face hostility and violence; clinics have been attacked and burned down during this outbreak, furthering viral spread.” (4)
“Congo’s Ebola outbreak continues to spread. More than 1,000 cases and 270 deaths have been confirmed, though the true number is higher. The World Health Organisation, among others, has set up treatment and testing centres and flown in protective equipment and other supplies. But officials fear the outbreak may spill into neighbouring South Sudan, where long-running armed conflict would make containing an outbreak far more difficult”. (5)
Congo bans mass gatherings in capital, 3 provinces to curb Ebola outbreak, https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/congo-bans-mass-gatherings-in-capital-3-provinces-to-curb-ebola-outbreak/3981383
U.S. starts vaccine effort for Ebola Bundibugyo as outbreak spreads, https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/us-starts-vaccine-effort-for-ebola-bundibugyo-as-outbreak-spreads/article71161184.ece
Volunteers Are Risking Their Lives to Stop Ebola. They Aren’t Always Welcome., https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/27/world/africa/ebola-outbreak-congo-volunteers-burials-backlash.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share
Researchers launch study on Ebola treatments as Congo outbreak worsens, https://apnews.com/article/ebola-bundibugyo-remdesivir-mbp134-congo-7dd42ecd5ff75a4f1e255db26677a778
A safe return home: Tackling stigma on Uganda’s Ebola frontline, https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/07/1167859
1.Africa CDC confirms Marburg case in Uganda as Ebola outbreak rages, by Beth Mole, https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/07/africa-cdc-confirms-marburg-case-in-uganda-as-ebola-outbreak-rages/
2.Ebola vs Marburg Virus: Could These Infections Cause The Next Pandemic? by Debosmita Ghosh, https://www.ndtv.com/health/ebola-vs-marburg-virus-could-these-infections-cause-the-next-pandemic-11725994
3.Hantavirus and Ebola virus disease: 10 things to know, https://www.hospitalnews.com/hantavirus-and-ebola-virus-disease-10-things-to-know/
4.Ebola Returns: How We Can Fight Back, by Alice Park, https://time.com/article/2026/07/02/ebola-returns-how-we-can-fight-back/?utm_source=beehiiv&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter-the-brief&_bhlid=8ce4659c184a50c0c18598623b90b41a5a5926b3
5. A growing arsenal against Ebola, https://www.economist.com/the-world-in-brief/2026/06/28/60afe4e9-363a-4b91-ae71-3226ce08b6cb
curated by Jonathan M. Metsch, Dr.P.H.
Clinical Professor of Environmental Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai