Ebola is a serious health concern in Eastern Africa at present, Dr Jotham Musinguzi, the Chair of the Commonwealth Medical Trust (Commat), writes describing the disease:
In May 2026, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared an outbreak of Ebola virus disease in the Eastern region of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Unlike the other past outbreaks of Ebola, as in Zaire, Sudan and West Africa, this was the Bundibugyo variant, the rarer type.
Ebola is transmitted by close contact with fluids, sweat or blood of somebody infected. Unlike other viruses such as COVID, Ebola is not transmitted by air.
Once infected by Ebola, the person can take up to 21 days before showing symptoms of the disease. The initial signs and symptoms are like those of Malaria fever, such as general weakness, fever and headache. With Ebola, this is referred to as the "dry stage".
If no treatment is given, the patient with Ebola will enter the more serious episode, the "wet stage". This stage is characterised by a combination of signs and symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, dehydration and bleeding from various orifices, such as the mouth, nose and anus. At this stage, the patient is very sick and is highly infectious to anyone touching their body without protective gear. Even when an Ebola patient dies, he or she remains very infectious to any contacts who aren’t protected.
With Ebola, those most at risk are close family members and health care givers. It is important, therefore, that a patient or suspected contact of Ebola should be isolated and referred to a health facility with equipment and health care providers, skilled in looking after Ebola patients.
Ebola has a very high fatality rate of 25-75%, meaning that for every 4 patients, between 1 and 3 may die of the disease.