Disease Outbreaks
- Ebola virus disease outbreak: Cases
of Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus have been confirmed in Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda with a total of 10 confirmed cases as
of 16 May, 2026, according to WHO. In the Ituri Province of DRC, 8
laboratory-confirmed cases, 246 suspected cases, and 80 suspected deaths
have been reported whereas in Kampala, Uganda 2 laboratory-confirmed cases
including 1 death have been reported among individuals
travelling from the DRC. WHO has declared this outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on May 17, 2026.
- Hantavirus outbreak: Multiple cases of severe respiratory illness have been reported among passengers aboard a cruise ship. According to WHO, as of May 2, 2026 seven cases of hantavirus have been identified in a of whom two are laboratory confirmed and five are suspected cases. These seven cases includes, three deaths, one critically ill and three who have reported mild symptoms.
- Measles outbreak in the US: A total of 1487 confirmed cases of measles have been reported by the 32 US jurisdictions as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The 32 jurisdictions include: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. 9 of the cases were reported among international visitors to the United States. More here https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html
World Health Day, 7th April 2026
World Health Day this year highlighted the importance of science and scientific collaboration in achieving health for all. The theme was "TOGETHER FOR HEALTH. STAND WITH SCIENCE.",
Clinical/Public Health Practice
- New diagnostic tool recommended for Tuberculosis: WHO is recommending for the first time, new near-point-of-care (NPOC) molecular tests for the diagnosis of TB; easy-to-collect tongue swab samples to simplify and expand access to testing; and a cost-saving sputum pooling strategy to increase testing efficiency for TB and rifampicin-resistant TB. More here WHO recommends new diagnostic tool to help end Tuberculosis
Effect of Middle East conflict