JONATHAN M. METSCH, Dr.P.H. – Tracking Emerging Public Health Challenges – September 27, 2026 – EBOLA
The development has raised concerns about the additional pressure on an already stretched outbreak response and the overall healthcare system.
The mpox case was confirmed after a 21-year-old woman was hospitalised with skin lesions that ae commonly seen in mpox.
The two viruses are not associated with each other, but the threat of two highly infectious diseases is now being navigated in the same area at the same time.
The Ebola outbreak has also expanded geographically, with new cases reported across 63 health zones in seven provinces. The WHO says the continued spread is increasing the risk of cross-border transmission.
The appearance of mpox in Bunia, against the backdrop of Ebola, creates another challenge for surveillance, testing, infection prevention and safety of healthcare workers.”
“The newly case is especially alarming as the DRC had declared an end to mpox as a national public health emergency in April, following a three-year outbreak that resulted in more than 34,000 confirmed cases nationwide.
The two diseases are caused by different viruses and spread differently. A confirmed mpox case does not indicate that Ebola has mutated or that the two outbreaks are connected.
The WHO says the Ebola response is already operating under difficult conditions, with conflict, insecurity, population displacement and limited access to basic services hampering surveillance, contact tracing, infection prevention and timely care.
The concern is that health systems, that were already dealing with a major outbreak, now have another infection to detect, investigate and contain.
Bunia is not just another location where a case has been detected. It is the capital of Ituri, where the Ebola outbreak is the most concentrated.” (5)
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“The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned governments that another pandemic will come, urging countries to strengthen their preparedness and urgently conclude negotiations on a global pathogen-sharing framework.
WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, gave the warning on Friday at the High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
“The next pandemic is a matter of when, not if,” Tedros said, pointing to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as a reminder of the continuing threat posed by infectious diseases.
According to him, although Ebola was unlikely to become a pandemic, its outbreak demonstrated that epidemic threats remain a constant challenge to local communities and the international health system.
Tedros recalled that shortly after his election as WHO Director-General in 2017, he was asked at Columbia University whether the world was ready for the next pandemic, but just over two years later, COVID-19 arrived and confirmed the seriousness of the warning.
According to Tedros, the pandemic caused well over 20 million excess deaths and wiped over $10 trillion from the global economy.
He declared that the pandemic also exposed major weaknesses in global health security, leading to the creation of initiatives aimed at strengthening surveillance, early warning, national preparedness, vaccine access and international emergency response.
Among the measures he cited were the Pandemic Fund, COVAX, the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence in Berlin, the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme, the WHO BioHub and the Global Health Emergency Corps.
Tedros also highlighted progress in strengthening the international legal framework for pandemic prevention and response.”
““Further delays are not just delays in procedure or process. They are delays that cost all countries dearly when the next pandemic arrives,” Tedros said.”” (1)
“The Ebola virus caused by the Bundibugyo strain has spread to two new health zones in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
These include Bulu health zone in a new province, Sud Ubangi, located on the northwest part of the country and Dungu health zone in Haut-Uele province, bordering South Sudan, a WHO report said.
“As we speak now, in Democratic Republic of Congo, there are seven provinces which are affected, 63 health zones are affected, and two newly affected zones were recently identified,” said Professor Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa, at a press conference.
As of Wednesday, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has reported 7,890 confirmed cases, including 3,799 deaths, resulting in a crude case fatality ratio (CFR) of 48.1 percent, WHO said.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that conflict and population displacement are making it harder for health workers to reach affected communities and to trace people who may have been exposed to the virus, raising the risk of transmission.” (2)
“Health authorities battling the Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo have identified only about 30,000 people who may have been exposed to the virus, a fraction of the more than 400,000 expected through contact tracing, a senior African health official told Reuters.
Dr. Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, said the shortfall showed the outbreak remained entrenched in communities despite signs of progress.
More than 80% of new confirmed cases were being detected among people who were not already on contact lists, suggesting transmission is still occurring beyond the reach of surveillance efforts.
For every confirmed Ebola case, health authorities would expect to identify about 60 people who had direct or indirect contact with the infected person, Kaseya told Reuters on Friday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
With roughly 7,000 confirmed cases, that would translate into about 420,000 contacts. “But currently, we have just 30,000 people in the contact list,” Kaseya said.
“When the outbreak is at community level, we cannot talk about control,” he added.” (3)
“The Ebola outbreak has spread to new areas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with 10 neighbouring countries at high risk as officials step up border health measures.” (4)
1.WHO: Next pandemic will come, prepare now, by Sade Oguntola, https://tribuneonlineng.com/who-next-pandemic-will-come-prepare-now/
2.DR Congo’s Ebola outbreak spreads to two new health zones, WHO says, Story by Al Jazeera Staff and Reuters, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/dr-congo-s-ebola-outbreak-spreads-to-two-new-health-zones-who-says/ar-AA2cZlXU?ocid=BingNewsSerp
3.Congo Ebola contact tracing falls far short as outbreak spreads, Africa CDC chief says,By Doyinsola Oladipo, https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/congo-ebola-contact-tracing-falls-far-short-outbreak-spreads-africa-cdc-chief-2026-09-25/
4.Ebola spreads in DR Congo, putting neighbouring nations at risk, https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/9/26/26-09-sv-ebola-spreading-borders-drc-dr
5.Mpox Case Detected In Congo’s Ituri Amid Ebola Outbreak: Why Are Health Officials Concerned?, by Health and Me, https://www.msn.com/en-in/health/general/mpox-case-detected-in-congo-s-ituri-amid-ebola-outbreak-why-are-health-officials-concerned/ar-AA2d4qUv?ocid=BingNewsSerp
curated by Jonathan M. Metsch, Dr.P.H.
Clinical Professor of Environmental Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai