The World Health Organization has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo a public health emergency of international concern after the virus spread to neighbouring Uganda. Around 246 suspected cases and 80 deaths have been reported in Ituri province, with confirmed infections also detected in Kinshasa and Goma. WHO warned the outbreak could become much larger due to population movement and regional instability. The current Bundibugyo strain has no approved vaccine or treatment. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said there are “significant uncertainties” about the true scale of infections. (PC: BBC)

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” after rising infections and deaths linked to the rare Bundibugyo virus strain. Health officials reported over 240 suspected cases and around 80 suspected deaths, with confirmed infections spreading from eastern Congo to Uganda’s capital Kampala. WHO warned the outbreak is especially dangerous because no approved vaccine or specific treatment currently exists for this strain. Ongoing conflict, population displacement, and weak healthcare systems in the affected regions are complicating containment efforts and increasing fears of wider regional spread. (PC: AFP)

The World Health Organization has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s eastern Ituri province a global health emergency after cases spread into neighbouring Uganda. WHO said around 246 suspected cases and 80 deaths have been reported so far, with eight laboratory-confirmed infections linked to the Bundibugyo strain of the virus. Health officials warned the true scale of the outbreak may be wider due to population movement, mining activity and cross-border travel. Authorities in DR Congo and Uganda have been urged to strengthen surveillance, isolate infected patients and improve emergency response measures to contain further spread. (PC: BBC)

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned countries to stay alert for more hantavirus cases following an outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius. The vessel was travelling from Argentina to Cape Verde when several suspected infections were reported.   Health officials are closely monitoring the situation because the Andes strain of hantavirus, unlike most forms of the virus, can spread through close human contact. Hantavirus is usually transmitted through infected wild rodents and can cause severe respiratory illness.   The WHO has asked countries to strengthen surveillance and preparedness measures as concerns grow over the possible spread of infections in the coming weeks.

US health officials are monitoring 18 Americans evacuated from the cruise ship MV Hondius after possible exposure to the Andes strain of hantavirus. Sixteen passengers were taken to a federal quarantine unit in Omaha, while two others, including one showing mild symptoms, were sent to Atlanta. Officials said the public risk remains “very, very low” as the virus does not spread easily between people. One American passenger tested positive, though asymptomatic. The outbreak aboard the Dutch cruise ship has already claimed three lives, while health agencies continue monitoring passengers for symptoms during quarantine. (PC: BBC)

More than 100 passengers and crew members fell ill after a norovirus outbreak struck the Caribbean cruise ship Caribbean Princess during a voyage from Florida. According to reports, those infected suffered symptoms including vomiting, diarrhoea, nausea and stomach cramps. Health experts said cruise ships remain highly vulnerable to norovirus because of crowded spaces and shared facilities. The virus spreads rapidly through contaminated food, water, surfaces and close contact. Authorities said most patients recovered within a few days, but the outbreak has renewed concerns over sanitation and disease control on cruise liners. Officials stressed strict hygiene and isolation measures to contain further spread. (PC: India Today)

A US national evacuated from the cruise ship MV Hondius has tested positive for hantavirus, while another passenger showed mild symptoms during a repatriation flight from Spain, US health officials said. The passengers are travelling in biocontainment units as a precaution and will undergo medical screening upon arrival in Nebraska. The outbreak aboard the ship has already claimed three lives, including a Dutch couple and a German woman. Health authorities say the risk of widespread transmission remains low, although concerns persist over the Andes strain of hantavirus, which can spread between humans in rare cases. Several countries are now monitoring evacuated passengers. (PC: BBC)

The Dutch expedition cruise ship MV Hondius, linked to a deadly hantavirus outbreak, has arrived near Spain’s Canary Islands under strict international health protocols. India’s embassy in Madrid confirmed that the two Indian nationals onboard are healthy and asymptomatic. The outbreak has killed three passengers and infected several others with the rare Andes strain of hantavirus, which can spread through rodents and, in rare cases, between humans. The World Health Organization and Spanish authorities are closely monitoring passengers and crew while coordinating evacuation and quarantine measures. Health experts stressed that the overall global public health risk remains low despite international concern over the outbreak. (PC: NDTV)

Scientists are warning that climate change and global heating may increase human exposure to hantavirus by altering rodent habitats and boosting their populations. The concern follows a deadly outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius, where several passengers were infected with the Andes strain, a rare form capable of limited human-to-human transmission. Experts say droughts followed by heavy rainfall create ideal conditions for rodents to multiply, increasing infection risks. Argentina, currently under scrutiny, reported 101 hantavirus cases and 32 deaths since July 2025. The World Health Organization stressed that the virus is not easily spread and the overall global public health risk remains low. (PC: Reuters)

Passengers aboard the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius began evacuating in Tenerife after a deadly hantavirus outbreak killed three people and infected several others. The ship, carrying passengers from over 20 countries, was quarantined following confirmed cases linked to the Andes strain of hantavirus, which can rarely spread between humans. Spanish authorities launched a tightly controlled evacuation with health screenings, quarantine measures, and special repatriation flights. The WHO and European health agencies said the overall public risk remains low, though all passengers are being treated as high-risk contacts. Investigators are still tracing the outbreak’s origin, believed to be linked to infected rodents in Argentina. (PC: AP)