ECDC publishes practical guidance to improve Ebola preparedness

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has published new operational guidance for European Union and European Economic Area countries in case of an imported Ebola case. The guidance contains specific steps for various sectors including border crossings, communities, transport, and isolation hospitals. These guidelines were issued in response to an Ebola outbreak caused by Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, which began in May 2026. ECDC experts have been deployed to Africa CDC headquarters in Addis Ababa since 19 May 2026 to support the regional response. The ECDC emphasizes that the risk of infection for people living in the EU/EEA remains very low given the minimal likelihood of importation and secondary transmission.