New Delhi: India on Sunday advised citizens to avoid non‑essential travel to parts of central and east Africa after health authorities declared an Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo strain a major international emergency.
The Union health ministry said its travel advisory follows the World Health Organization’s decision on May 17, 2026, to label the situation a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations (IHR), 2005. The ministry cited WHO guidance while urging heightened vigilance for travellers and residents in the affected nations.
The WHO’s move was echoed by regional bodies. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has described the outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security. This besides, authorities consider South Sudan and neighbouring countries of the DRC and Uganda to be at high risk for onward transmission.
Travel & Surveillance Guidance
In its advisory, the ministry cited the IHR Emergency Committee’s May 22 recommendations, which urged countries to tighten entry‑point screening and disease surveillance so they can ‘detect, assess, report and manage travellers with unexplained febrile illness arriving from areas with documented Bundibugyo virus detection,’ and to discourage non‑essential travel.
Indian nationals travelling to or living in the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan were told to follow local public health advice, maintain strict hygiene, avoid contact with people showing symptoms, and immediately seek medical care if they develop fever or related signs. The ministry noted that India has not recorded any cases linked to the Bundibugyo strain to date and that authorities are monitoring the outbreak closely in line with WHO guidance.
Outbreak Toll & Treatment Status
The ministry’s statement cited case numbers reported from the DRC, saying that 204 deaths have been recorded in three provinces out of 867 suspected cases. The WHO’s latest publicly available toll on Friday reported 177 deaths from 750 suspected cases, indicating some discrepancy between sources. The advisory emphasized that the Bundibugyo variant causes Ebola, a viral haemorrhagic fever with a high mortality rate.
“No vaccines or specific treatments have yet been approved to prevent or treat infections caused by this strain,” the health ministry said, underlining the continued reliance on surveillance, infection control, and supportive clinical care to limit spread and reduce fatalities.
India’s advisory credited WHO and Africa CDC findings and reiterated that the government will continue to follow international recommendations while keeping travel guidance under review.
