Sep 18, 2026
The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo has killed more than 1,700 people with 3,802 confirmed cases, making it the fastest-growing outbreak on record. The WHO is accelerating vaccine trials as the crisis overwhelms response efforts.
Oxford University researchers administered the first dose of a rapidly developed vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola to a UK volunteer, as the deadly outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has now killed over 1,000 people. Separate studies suggest existing Ebola vaccines may offer some cross-protection against this rare strain.
The CDC has assessed the risk to the US public from the ongoing hantavirus outbreak on the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius as 'extremely low,' with WHO reporting eight total cases (five confirmed, three suspected) as of Friday. The outbreak has exposed gaps in US infectious disease response capabilities following withdrawal from WHO and public health cuts.
A major multi-country study found that WHO-recommended first-line antibiotics for neonatal sepsis are likely to be effective in only one-quarter of infections in low- and middle-income countries, highlighting a critical gap in global infant health treatment protocols.